Do different pedagogical conceptions result in different quality of life levels?

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to compare medical students' quality of life (QoL) at two Brazilian institutions with different pedagogical conceptions. METHODS: We studied students during the first four years of medical school at two institutions (one using active methodologies and small groups and the other using traditional lectures and large groups). We used a demographic questionnaire and the WHOQOL-BREF. RESULTS: 820 medical students were included. No significant differences in quality of life were found in general, nor while evaluating the course phase, except for the physical WHOQOL, which was lower for 2nd-year students at the institution with traditional lectures, even when adjusted for gender. CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed that, despite having very distinct pedagogical conceptions and characteristics, there were no significant differences in medical students' QoL scores between both institutions. These results are surprising and differ from our initial hypothesis, which expected better QoL for those using more active and student-centered methods.

Do different pedagogical conceptions result in different quality of life levels?

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE The present study aims to compare medical students' quality of life (QoL) at two Brazilian institutions with different pedagogical conceptions. METHODS We studied students during the first four years of medical school at two institutions (one using active methodologies and small groups and the other using traditional lectures and large groups). We used a demographic questionnaire and the WHOQOL-BREF. RESULTS 820 medical students were included. No significant differences in quality of life were found in general, nor while evaluating the course phase, except for the physical WHOQOL, which was lower for 2nd-year students at the institution with traditional lectures, even when adjusted for gender. CONCLUSION Our findings revealed that, despite having very distinct pedagogical conceptions and characteristics, there were no significant differences in medical students' QoL scores between both institutions. These results are surprising and differ from our initial hypothesis, which expected better QoL for those using more active and student-centered methods.

RESUMO OBJETIVO O presente estudo tem como objetivo comparar a qualidade de vida (QV) de estudantes de medicina de duas instituições brasileiras com diferentes concepções pedagógicas. MÉTODOS Estudo comparativo incluindo estudantes do 1o ao 4o ano do curso de medicina de duas instituições no Brasil (uma usando metodologias ativas e pequenos grupos e a outra aulas expositivas tradicionais e grandes grupos). Utilizou-se um questionário demográfico e o instrumento WHOQOL-Bref. RESULTADOS Foram incluídos 820 estudantes de medicina. Nenhuma diferença significativa na qualidade de vida foi encontrada no geral e na avaliação por fase do curso, com exceção do WHOQOL físico, que mostrou ser mais baixo para os estudantes da da instituição com aulas tradicionais, mesmo quando ajustado para o gênero. CONCLUSÃO Nossos achados revelaram que apesar de terem concepções e características pedagógicas bem distintas, não se observaram diferenças significativas nos escores de QV dos estudantes de medicina das duas instituições. Esses resultados são surpreendentes e diferem da nossa principal hipótese, uma vez que esperávamos uma melhora de QV para aqueles que usam métodos mais ativos e centrados no estudante.

Burnout among medical students during the first years of undergraduate school: Prevalence and associated factors.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence and possible factors associated with the development of burnout among medical students in the first years of undergraduate school. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Barretos School of Health Sciences, Dr. Paulo Prata. A total of 330 students in the first four years of medical undergraduate school were invited to participate in responding to the sociodemographic and Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS) questionnaires. The first-year group consisted of 150 students, followed by the second-, third-, and fourth-year groups, with 60 students each. RESULTS: Data from 265 students who answered at least the sociodemographic questionnaire and the MBI-SS were analyzed (response rate = 80.3%). One (n = 1, 0.3%) potential participant viewed the Informed Consent Form but did not agree to participate in the study. A total of 187 students (187/265, 70.6%) presented high levels of emotional exhaustion, 140 (140/265, 52.8%) had high cynicism, and 129 (129/265, 48.7%) had low academic efficacy. The two-dimensional criterion indicated that 119 (44.9%) students experienced burnout. Based on the three-dimensional criterion, 70 students (26.4%) presented with burnout. The year with the highest frequency of affected students for both criteria was the first year (p = 0.001). Personal attributes were able to explain 11% (ΔR = 0.11) of the variability of burnout under the two-dimensional criterion and 14.4% (R2 = 0.144) under the three-dimensional criterion. CONCLUSION: This study showed a high prevalence of burnout among medical students in a private school using active teaching methodologies. In the first years of graduation, students' personal attributes (optimism and self-perception of health) and school attributes (motivation and routine of the exhaustive study) were associated with higher levels of burnout. These findings reinforce the need to establish preventive measures focused on the personal attributes of first-year students, providing better performance, motivation, optimism, and empathy in the subsequent stages of the course.