AUTHOR=Metakides Clio , Pielemeier Lena , Lytras Theodore , Mytilinaios Dimitrios G. , Themistocleous Sophia C. , Pieridi Chryso , Tsioutis Constantinos , Johnson Elizabeth O. , Ntourakis Dimitrios , Nikas Ilias P. 

TITLE=Burnout and motivation to study medicine among students during the COVID-19 pandemic

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1214320

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2023.1214320

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Aim: To investigate medical students' burnout and motivation levels in the six years of their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify independent predictors of burnout and motivation.Methods: An anonymous survey was sent to the students of all six years within our school. Burnout was measured with the adapted Oldenburg Burnout Inventory questionnaire (OLBI-S) and motivation with the updated Strength of Motivation for Medical School (SMMS-R) questionnaire. Univariate analysis was performed with the Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman's correlation, while multivariable analysis with linear regression models.Results: A total of 333 medical students (52% of student body) responded. Higher burnout levels correlated with lower motivation to study medicine (rho= -0.30, P <0.001). Burnout levels differed between the six years of medical studies, peaking in years two and four whereas being the lowest in year one (P=0.01). Motivation levels differed significantly as well, peaking in years one and four whereas being the lowest in years five and six (P=0.012). In the multivariable linear regression models, being a female (b=2.22, P=0.016), studying in the fourth vs first year (b=2.54, P=0.049), having a perceived beginner/intermediate vs advanced/expert technology level (b=2.05, P=0.032) and a perceived poor school support system (b=6.35, P<0.001) were independently associated with higher burnout levels. Furthermore, studying in the fifth-year vs first year (b=-5.17, P=0.019) and a perceived poor school support system (b=-3.09, P=0.01) were independently associated with a reduced motivation to study medicine.Our study highlighted potential areas for intervention to decrease the rate of burnout and low motivation among medical students.