Intrinsic component of resilience among entry level medical students in the United Arab Emirates

Strategies for Enhancing Resilience in Medical Students: a Group Concept Mapping Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Research has consistently shown that medical students have greater rates of stress and mental-ill health in comparison with non-medical students. The objective of this study was to investigate the resilience strategies employed by medical students in an Irish medical school to inoculate themselves against the deleterious effects of stress on health and wellbeing.

METHODS

Group concept mapping was utilized incorporating qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The stages undertaken by year 3 students at an Irish medical school involved brainstorming/idea generation, categorization, and rating of resilience strategies students employed to manage stress during medical school. The data was analyzed utilizing The Concept System® software through multidimensional scaling and hierarchical clustering.

RESULTS

Categories of resilience strategies employed included "friends and family," "de-stress through exercise/sport," "extra-curricular non-medical activities," "self-enabled distraction," "organization," and "enhancing emotional and mental wellbeing." Students rated spending time with "friends and family" to be most effective when seeking to relieve stress, whereas students rated "de-stressing through exercise/sport" as being of greatest importance in relation to inclusion in a resilience-based intervention. Students recognized the value of incorporating strategies to enhance emotional and mental wellbeing into a resilience-promoting program. "Self-enabled distraction" rated poorly on both scales.

CONCLUSIONS

Strategies rated by students to be important to incorporate in a stress reduction management program are accessible, are feasible, and can be implemented into the medical curriculum.

A Systematic Review of Leadership Definitions, Competencies, and Assessment Methods in Pharmacy Education

Objective. To characterize leadership definitions, competencies, and assessment methods used in pharmacy education, based on a systematic review of the literature. Findings. After undergoing title, abstract, and full-text review, 44 (10%) of 441 articles identified in the initial search were included in this report. Leadership or an aspect of leadership was defined in 37 (84%) articles, and specific leadership competencies were listed or described in 40 (91%) articles. The most common definitions of leadership involved motivating others toward the achievement of a specific goal and leading organizational change. Definitions of leadership in some articles required that individuals hold a formal leadership position whereas others did not. Only two leadership competencies were related to specific areas of knowledge. Most of the competencies identified were interpersonal and self-management skills. In terms of assessment, only one (2.3%) article assessed leadership effectiveness, and none assessed leadership development. Of the remaining 24 (55%) articles that included some type of assessment, most involved behavioral-based tools assessing individual attributes conceptually related to leadership (eg, strengths, emotional intelligence), or self-assessments regarding whether learning objectives in a leadership course had been met. Summary. Definitions for leadership in pharmacy varied considerably, as did leadership competencies. Most conceptualizations of leadership resembled a combination of established approaches rather than being grounded in a specific theory. If leadership development is to remain a focus within accreditation standards for Doctor of Pharmacy education, a consistent framework for operationalizing it is needed.

Review of Grit and Resilience Literature within Health Professions Education

Objective. To review literature pertaining to grit and resilience in health professions education. Findings. There is significant interest in grit and resilience throughout the health professions, but little has been published with regard to pharmacy. Although there are methodological issues with defining and measuring grit and resilience, several studies have shown relationships between the constructs and personal and academic well-being. Educational interventions aimed at increasing grit and resilience have produced mixed results. Developing protective factors appears to be the most common approach in helping students become more resilient. Summary. Literature pertaining to grit and resilience reveals that the terms are nuanced, complex, and difficult to measure and understand. Regardless, the general characteristics associated with grit and resilience are of interest to educators and warrant further study.

The psychological well-being manifesting among master’s students in Industrial and Organisational Psychology

Orientation: Psychological well-being among master’s students is seen as a contributing factor towards having a meaningful, enjoyable and productive experience as a student.Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide a qualitative description of the psychological well-being experiences of first-year students in a part-time coursework master’s degree in Industrial and Organisational Psychology (IOP) in order to foster an empathetic understanding of their experiences.Motivation for the study: The understanding of their master’s students’ psychological wellbeing experiences will assist university IOP departments in facilitating the appropriate psychological containment to students and the optimisation of their resilience towards meaningfully completing their first year and perhaps also their master’s degree.Research design, approach and method: Qualitative research was conducted within a hermeneutic interpretive stance. Data were gathered from a focus group with 10 conveniently chosen participants. Thematic content analysis provided eight themes, which were interpreted and linked to the literature on psychological well-being.Main findings: Student distress caused by job demands leads to languishing and feeling overwhelmed. In contrast, student eustress resulting from job resources leads to flourishing, consisting of self-efficacy, locus of control and optimism.Practical implications: University IOP departments can use the information towards understanding their master’s students’ psychological well-being experiences, which could assist in the students’ successful and timeous completion of their studies.Contribution: The study contributes to the literature on master’s students’ real negative and positive experiences and psychological well-being, which university departments often deny or dismiss as idiosyncratic.Keywords: positive organisational behaviour; job demands; job resources; multiple roles; support system; self-efficacy; hope/optimism