Exploring the relationship between demographic factors; performance and fortitude in a group of diverse 1st-year medical students

Background. The majority of 1st-year students are ill-equipped for university life. This heightens stress levels; which are accentuated by a lack of resilience and impact negatively on academic performance and personal wellbeing.Objectives. To explore; within the paradigm of positive psychology; the relationship between the self; family and support constructs of fortitude; and academic performance of 1st-year medical students.Method. First-year medical students completed a fortitude questionnaire and their academic performances in two academic modules were collated. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were employed for statistical analysis of the variables. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the relationship between academic performance and fortitude subscales; as well as the fortitude composite score.Results. The student population was multicultural; multilingual and had different educational and residential backgrounds. The fortitude instrument was found to be reliable and correlated significantly with student academic performance. Male students had significantly higher fortitude scores than female students. Students who had attended state/government schools had significantly lower fortitude than those who had attended private and ex-Model C schools. Students with prior degrees had higher fortitude than matriculants.Conclusion. The significant; albeit moderate; positive correlation between fortitude and academic performance highlights the need for further exploration of wellbeing and holistic development of medical students. Support programmes are recommended to bridge the gap related to gender and educational background. Low and fair levels of fortitude indicate a need for corrective measures. These could include consulting relevant support networks such as student counsellors; mentors and academic development personnel

Motivated strategies for learning and their association with academic performance of a diverse group of 1st-year medical students

Background. Most instruments; including the well-known Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ); have been designed in western homogeneous settings. Use of the MSLQ in health professions education is limited. Objective. To assess the MSLQ and its association with the academic performance of a heterogeneous group of 1st-year medical students.Methods. Eighty-three percent of 1st-year medical students consented to participate in this quantitative study. The MSLQ consisted of a motivation strategies component with six subscales; while the learning strategies component had nine subscales. Demographic and academic achievement information of the students was also collected. Stata version 13 (StataCorp LP; USA) was used for the statistical analyses of all data.Results. Female students displayed significantly higher motivational scores. Students with prior educational experience and those who attended peer-mentoring sessions had significantly higher learning strategy scores. Significant but moderate relationships were found between academic performance and the motivation strategies subsumed within the categories 'task value' and 'self-efficacy for learning performance'. In terms of the 'learning strategy component'; 'critical thinking'; and 'time and study environment'; the composite score was significantly but poorly correlated to academic performance. Conclusion. Overall; limited correlations were found between the MSLQ scores and academic performance. Further investigation of the use of the MSLQ and its association with academic achievement is recommended; with greater focus on specific learning events than on course outcomes. This study highlights the importance of evaluating an instrument in a specific context before accepting the findings of others with regard to the use of the instrument and its correlation with academic performance