Peeradon Dutsadeevettakul¹
Darin Tangsittitum², Anongnard Kasorn³ and Manasvin Onwan⁴
1 Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University
2 Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University
3 Department of Basic Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, Thailand
4 Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Sinakharinwirot University, Nakhon- Nayok, Thailand 

Background:
While stress is a significant factor that can impact student satisfaction and academic outcomes in medical education, it is important to note that academic outcomes can also contribute to stress levels. The demanding nature of medical education, with its workload, and intense exams, can create a high-pressure environment that can lead to stress. 

Summary of Work:
A mixed questionnaire consisted of qualitative and quantitative were conducted among Thai medical student society in January 2023 (N=110). 

Results:
Students with higher GPA were satisfied with their grades with a satisfaction score of 8 ± 1.477. On the other hand, the least satisfaction score (3.36 ± 1.804) was observed in students with GPA lower than 3.00.
 However, the same positive association does not apply to stress levels. Interestingly, students with the middle range of GPAs (3.40-3.59) reported the least amount of stress (4.88 ± 2.804, p=0.024), with stress levels increasing in both the upper and lower GPAs. The similar pattern was also observed between education-related stress and GPA. 

Beyond GPA, other factors including sex and number of siblings also had impacts on stress levels (p=0.021, p=0.024). Although students with GPAs >3.80 reported the highest levels of happiness in studying (p=0.011) and overall happiness (p=0.135), lowest GPAs’ students (3.20-3.39) had the lowest levels of happiness in studying and overall happiness (p=0.02, p=0.045). 

Discussion and Conclusions:
These results suggested a positive correlation between GPAs and medical students’ satisfaction and happiness. However, it is important to note that this relationship is not linear. In fact, students with medium grades appeared to experience the lowest levels of stress. Conversely, students with low grades reported the lowest levels of learning and overall happiness. 

Take-home Messages:
Several factors can affect medical students’ happiness. Thus, it is important for educators to create an environment that supports overall student well-being. 

References (maximum three) 

1. March-Amengual J-M, Cambra Badii I, Casas-Baroy J-C, Altarriba C, Comella Company A, Pujol-Farriols R, et al. Psychological distress, burnout, and academic performance in first year college students. Int J Environ Res Public Health [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2023 Aug 6];19(6):3356. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35329044/ 

2. Alzahrani AM, Hakami A, AlHadi A, Batais MA, Alrasheed AA, Almigbal TH. The interplay between mindfulness, depression, stress and academic performance in medical students: A Saudi perspective. PLoS One [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2023 Aug 6];15(4):e0231088. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32243468/ 

3. Pisaniello MS, Asahina AT, Bacchi S, Wagner M, Perry SW, Wong M-L, et al. Effect of medical student debt on mental health, academic performance and specialty choice: a systematic review. BMJ Open [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2023 Aug 6];9(7):e029980. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31270123/ 

Elize Archer¹
Jaudon Foiret^2, Rhoda Meyer², Rene English², Erna Marais² and Danny De wet²
1 Stellenbosch University
2 Stellenbosch University

The MBChB programme at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Stellenbosch University (SU), embarked on a process of curriculum renewal with implementation in 2022. The renewed curriculum signalled a shift from a traditional disciplinary to an integrated curriculum. Furthermore, we moved from more traditional examination-based high-stakes assessment formats to multiple, varied, low-stakes assessments, with the view to enhance deep, as well as self-directed and lifelong learning. Given that assessment influences how students approach learning, it is necessary to explore how students experienced this new approach to assessment'.


Summary of work

Our larger study looks at the first 18 months in the curriculum, which include three, six-month long integrated modules. The aim of this study was to explore how medical students experience assessment in the 2nd and 3rd modules of the renewed curriculum. We conducted focus group interviews with students at the end of the two respective modules Recordings were transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed.


Results
Four main themes were derived from the data including, students’ understanding influences assessment experiences, the effect of assessment, the quality of the assessment tasks and students’ engagement with feedback. 

Discussion
Students understanding of the assessment practices influenced their experiences. Despite our assessment design, they seemed to be strategic in their approach to learning by selecting what they believed to be most important. They could also identify what valuable feedback was and requested more. 

Conclusions
The results suggest that students understand the value of assessment and feedback, but that they are strategic in their behaviour. To foster deep learning curriculum developers, need to take cognisance of the structure of the modules in terms of the number, spacing and type of assessments. 

Take-home message
Assessment tasks should be aligned to the principles of good assessment such as relevance, fair and timeous feedback. 

References (maximum three) 

Norcini J, Anderson MB, Bollela V, Burch V, Costa MJ, Duvivier R, Hays R, Palacios Mackay MF, Roberts T, Swanson D. 2018 Consensus framework for good assessment. Medical teacher. 2018 Nov 2;40(11):1102-9.