OBJECTIVE
To determine the well-being of minority medical students in a multicenter sample of
US medical students.
PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS
All 1098 medical students at 3 medical schools in Minnesota were surveyed in April
2004. Validated instruments were used to assess burnout, depression, and quality of
life (QOL). Students were also asked about the prevalence of significant personal
life events in the previous 12 months and strategies used to cope with stress.
RESULTS
Although symptoms of depression and overall burnout were similar among minority and
nonminority students, minority students were more likely to have a low sense of personal
accomplishment (P=.02) and lower QOL in a number of domains (all P≤.05). These differences persisted on multivariate analysis that controlled for demographic
characteristics and recent life events. Minority students were also more likely to
have a child (P=.01), originate from outside Minnesota (P<.001), and experience a major personal illness in the last 12 months (P=.03).
CONCLUSION
As a group, the minority medical students in this survey had a lower sense of personal
accomplishment and QOL than nonminority students. Additional studies are needed to
provide insight regarding the causes of these inequities and the unique challenges
faced by minority medical students. Efforts to improve minority students' well-being,
QOL, and learning experience may help prevent attrition among minority medical students
and promote diversification in the physician workforce.
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Footnotes
This study was funded through an Academic Primary Care Grant from the Division of Primary Care Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
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© 2006 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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