Psychometric Properties of Depression Anxiety and Stress in Preclinical Medical Students.

Background: Medical education and learning outcomes might adversely affect students' mental health in all axes depression, anxiety, and stress. Faculty has a concern regarding the mental well-being of the medical students. Objective: Explore the prevalence of depressive anxiety and stress symptoms, ways of coping, and their relationships to variables among preclinical medical students. Material and Method: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in preclinical medical students, Suranaree University of Technology in March 2015. Two hundred thirty medical students (First, second, and third year students) were included and then completed the Self-administered questionnaire, The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) is a quantitatively measured for distress along the three axes of depression, anxiety, and stress. Results: At the beginning of the study, 230 students enrolled in the study (43.2% male). The overall response rate among medical students was 92.61% (213/230). The prevalence of mild to moderate degree in depression, anxiety, and stress level was 9.4%, 22.5%, and 5.6%, respectively while the prevalence of severe to extremely severe degree in depression, anxiety, and stress level was 0.9%, 3.2%, and 0%, respectively. The second-year medical students exhibited the highest percentage of depression, anxiety, and stress but there was no significant difference among depression, anxiety, and stress between academic year in preclinical medical students. No burnout and suicidal ideation were reported by either males or females. Conclusion: This present indicated that medical students have a low level of depression, anxiety, and stress, however, the data is useful for further planning of prevention in psychometric risks.

Perceptions of Medical Students and Facilitators of an Early Clinical Exposure Instructional Program.

BACKGROUND: Early introduction to clinical medicine program was use as medical curriculum, Suranaree University since 2007. Today, medical students are learning introduction to patient contact, communication skills and clinical examination in the pre-clinicalyears with the purpose ofgaining early clinical experience. OBJECTIVE: Investigation for pre-clinical students and clinical facilitators' perception through early introduction to clinical medicine. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Third-year medical students were enrolled in the introduction to clinical medicine coursefor 2 weeks. Questionnaires for student andfacilitator versions were distributed to 60 students and 21 facilitators. In the analysis, both t-test analysis and bivariate analysis for mean difference were used, statistical significant p < 0.05. RESULTS: Sixty students (participation rate 100%) and 16 `facilitators (participation rate 76%) completed the questionnaire. Differences in perception between medical students and facilitators were found in domains of professionalism, facilitator's perception were greater than medical students in medical profession were (4.5 vs. 3.87, p = 0.03), domain that medical student's perception were greater than facilitator's in encouragement was (3.95 vs. 3.25, p < 0.01) and pressure in learning environment (3.92 vs. 3.12, p < 0.01). No learning gaps of facilitators and medical students in the other domains ofcognitive, interpersonal skills, ethics, learning, teacher preparation and social environment and overall stratification were identified. CONCLUSION: The students experienced the course as providing them with a valuable introduction to the physician professional role in clinical practice. In medical students' perception, they often experienced encouragement and the learning environment more so thanfacilitators did. Overall stratification was good in perception of facilitators and medical students.