Stress among medical students: A cross-sectional study from a North Indian Medical University

AIMS: The aim is to study stress among medical students and the relationship of stress to the year of study and gender. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-point, cross-sectional, observational study of students of a medical university in North India divided on the basis of the semester of their course. The study was done using the higher education stress inventory. RESULTS: A total of 251 students were included in the study. Worry about future endurance and capacity was rated the highest by the final year students while faculty shortcomings and insufficient feedback were rated highest by the 2(nd)-year students and financial concerns the highest by the 1(st)-year students. Males rated financial concerns higher than females. DISCUSSION: The study would provide insight to the university authorities to make remedies based on the expectations and feedback of the students. CONCLUSION: the current study shows that stress amongst medical students is a dynamic process as the reasons of stress vary depending on the stage of curriculum. The college/university administration can mitigate this by taking appropriate steps as needed