ACADEMIC STRESS IN MEDICAL STUDENTS FROM A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN QUERETARO, MEXICO

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. Academic stress is a phenomenon that is present daily, but principally when studying in the university. Given that medical students are under constant pressure to succeed in a career with extensive content, they are highly susceptible to situations of high stress. OBJECTIVE. Determine the academic stress that exists in medical students attending the Autonomous University of Querétaro in 2022. METHODOLOGY. Quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive study, using a sample of 132 male and female students in the 3rd semester, all residents from the state of Queretaro. SISCO-SV21 inventory was applied for data collection, Cronbach Alpha was 0.85. Frequency and averages were calculated through SPSS v.25 program. RESULTS. 60% of the students perceived having a high stress level. 50% of the students experienced chronic fatigue and 46% expressed a sense of reluctance. 50% were stressed by short homework deadlines. The main coping strategy was to establish concrete solutions to problems, implemented by 48.1%. CONCLUSIONS. There is an imminent need for the creation of programs that support the mental health of future medical professionals, since academic stress is a barrier that contributes to their comprehensive development during their training.