• Katsiaryna Khatskevich, Jiten Patel, Sierra Klein, Lachlan Shiver, Ashley Mason, and Danielle Gulick.
• From the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston.
• South. Med. J. 2024 Jun 1; 117 (6): 336341336-341.

ObjectivesMedical education is notorious for the stress that students face as they strive to succeed both academically and clinically. This stress has been linked to declining academic performance and worsening mental health. To combat these negative outcomes, it is essential for medical school faculty and administration to address common stressors among medical students. No studies have addressed whether medical school faculty and students perceive stressors similarly, however.MethodsIn this two-part study, data collected from medical students in 2021 to 2022 to identify their most significant sources of stress were used to create a survey that queries the frequency and intensity of these stressors. This survey was distributed to medical students and faculty at the same institution. The responses between students and faculty were compared and student data also were analyzed by academic year to observe changes in perception that accompany progression through the medical curriculum.ResultsThe results showed that faculty overestimated the impact of certain stressors on medical students (eg, in-house examinations, US Medical Licensing Examination Steps 1 and 2 examinations, and patient interactions). In addition, preclinical students were more concerned with finding extracurricular activities, missing opportunities, and performing research compared with clinical students.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that although faculty anticipated most medical student stressors, there are significant gaps that still need to be addressed to better reduce and respond to the stress experienced by medical students.

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