Perceived stress in medical students and correlation of perceived stress levels with self-directed learning readiness

Background: Medical students are exposed to increased stress due to factors such as academic pressure, high expectations from parents, peer pressure, reduced leisure time, and ambitions of higher studies. Students in professional courses are expected to have skills for self-directed learning. It is the process of learning, in which the student frames his own learning goals, who chooses appropriate strategies for learning. The present study aims to look for level of perceived stress among medical students, readiness for self-directed learning and to correlate readiness for self-directed learning with level of perceived stress. Aims and Objectives: The aims if this study were to assess perceived stress and readiness for self-directed learning in medical students and to correlate stress levels with readiness for self-directed learning. Materials and Methods: The study was done by online survey using Google forms which were shared among medical students. Two hundred students participated in this study. The online survey consisted of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to assess the level of stress, Fisher’s Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) to assess readiness for self-directed learning. Results: Among the 200 students, who participated in the study, about 127 (63.7%) had PSS >28. The mean PSS was 31.6 (SD 6.79) and mean SDLRS was 145.22 (SD 18.5). Between SDLRS and PSS, there was a significant negative correlation (r = ?0.417), suggesting inverse relationship. Scatter plot showed presence of linear relationship between SDLRS and PSS scores. Regression analysis showed significant association between SDLRS and PSS with P < 0.001. Conclusion: Significant proportion of medical students was found to have moderate perceived stress. Students with higher SDL readiness had significantly lower perceived stress.

Vital signs changes in post-operative corrective surgery for cyanotic and noncyanotic congenital heart diseases

Post open cardiac surgery is associated with rises in fever, blood pressure and heart rate. The objective of the present study was to determine the changes in temperature, blood pressure and heart rate in first week after open cardiac surgery of non-complicated cyanotic and noncyanotic congenital heart diseases. Temperature, blood pressure and heart rate were obtained from 100 patients with different congenital heart disease after open cardiac surgery. The patients divided in two groups, 40 cyanotic CHD and 60 noncyanotic CHD. Half of patients had fever in first day after surgery. Cyanotic patients became afebrile earlier than noncyanotic group. Cyanotic patients had higher heart rate and lower blood pressure than noncyanotic group. The study suggests that post open heart surgery body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate are different in patients with cyanotic and non cyanotic congenital heart diseases