“I am still here!” Undergraduate medical students’ perceptions of resilience

Abstract

This study explored students’ perceptions as resilient learners. Participants were 500 South African medical school students (59.0% female; pre-clinical group median age 20 years; clinical group median age 22.6 years). The students completed an open-ended questionnaire on factors impacting their resilient learning. Thematic analysis of the data indicated that students reported factors such as intrinsic motivation and family support to contribute to higher levels of resilience. Those self-reporting with less resilience were of the view that their pre-existing mental health challenges impeded resilient learning. Student support services should factor in personal and social assets and liabilities on students in supporting their resilient learning

Keywords:

• burnout
• medical studies
• resilience
• stress factors

Acknowledgements

Prof Gina Joubert, Head of Department Biostatistics, for statis- tical analysis of the quantitative data. Dr Daleen Struwig, medical writer/editor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, for technical and editorial preparation of the article. Limited financial support was received from the Directorate: Research Development, UFS.

Authors note

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The authors developed the study design, data collection, and the preparation of the final manuscript.

ORCID

Anja Botha http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6849-8739

Lynette J. van der Merwe http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4402-5050