Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to determine various factors associated with perceived stress and to explore the impact of burnout on students’ academic year among medical and dental undergraduates at Qamar Dental and Darul Sehat Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.

Introduction: Stress is a state of mental or emotional anxiety. Medical and Dental student’s life has been subject to different kinds of stress and sources could be academic pressure, fear of failing exams, assignments, modular system, and being criticized by supervisors in front of their own patients.

Methods and materials: This was a cross-sectional survey study design. It was conducted among 3rd and 4th year BDS students and 3rd, 4th, 5th year MBBS students who were officially registered in tertiary care hospital, Qamar Dental and Darul Sehat Hospital,Karachi, Sindh from 2017 December till date.

Results: This survey consists of 241 undergraduate students of LCMD including 52.3% dental and 47.7% medical students. Out of which 70.1% data received from females and 29.9% from male. Majority of the medical students i.e. 49.1% were studying in 4th year while 29% from 5th year. Fear of failing exams in BDS students was 74.8% and 66.4% in MBBS students. Large number of modules, assignments, in addition to the atmosphere created by clinical faculty showed 77.4% dental and 67% medical undergraduates felt overloaded, difficulty in finding their own patients to fulfill the quota for clinical subjects increases stress levels in BDS students about 68% in contrast to MBBS students that is only 32%. In our study it was found that the stress level among dental students is relatively high compared to medical students

Conclusion: In comparison with medical students, dental students showed comparatively higher level of stress symptoms. They were more apprehensive, distressed, and interpersonal sensitivity because of multifactorial reasons like self-efficacy beliefs, good performance pressure and assigned workload.

Keywords: Perceived Stress; Dental Students; Medical Students; Clinical Rotation; Quota; Criticism; Undergraduates