N. E. Anton1, M. A. Rendina1, K. Stanton1, J. N. Choi1 1Indiana University School Of Medicine,Department Of Surgery,Indianapolis, IN, USA
Introduction:
Grit, a psychological trait characterized by passion and perseverance for long-term goals, enables individuals to work towards the completion of long-term goals in spite of repeated challenges, failure, and adversity. Grit has been identified as a predictor of resident attrition in surgical residency, and a marker of residents at risk for poor psychological well-being in the future. Among medical students, grit is associated with learning and performance in gross anatomy, which may indicate that grit is an important element of medical student success. However, in United States medical schools, the third year of medical school (MS3) presents unique challenges related to patient care, interacting with diverse senior healthcare providers, and determining one’s eventual career path. Thus, unlike the first two years of medical school, the distinct challenges of MS3 may erode medical students’ grit. Accordingly, our goal in the present study was to assess the impact of MS3 on medical students’ grit.
Methods:
Incoming MS3s were recruited to voluntarily participate in our study at the start of their third year. Following informed consent, participating MS3s completed the Short Grit Scale, which is an eight-item self-report measure of grit. A single grit score is derived, in addition to two subscales, which include consistency of interest and perseverance of effort. At the conclusion of their third year, participating MS3s were contacted via electronic mail to complete Short Grit Scale again. Paired two-tailed t-tests were utilized to assess pre- to post-MS3 differences in grit and the two subscales. P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant.
Results:
One hundred and seven MS3s (39.8% Female) completed both Short Grit Scales. From pre-MS3 to post-MS3, there was a significant decrease in grit scores (Pre: 3.99±0.46 to Post: 3.87±0.49, p<0.001). Regarding subscale items, there were no differences in pre- to post-MS3 consistency of interest scores. However, there was a significant decrease in perseverance of effort from pre- to post-MS3 (Pre: 4.18±0.48 to Post: 4±0.51, p<0.001).
Conclusion:
Medical student grit, particularly perseverance of effort, may be at risk to decrease significantly due to the rigors of their third year, which consists of unique challenges that they have not been previously exposed to, as well as important decisions regarding their future career paths. It is currently unclear what specific factors contribute to medical students’ decreased grit during their third year, but it is apparent that there is a need for dedicated training to enhance medical student grit due to its importance for their psychological well-being in residency. Accordingly, interventions designed to promote medical student resilience and grit during their third year are warranted.