Graduate-entry medical students may be older and wiser than their undergraduate counterparts, but they are far more likely to be anxious and depressed than the general population, says an Australian study. These are their top 10 issues: Learning a large volume of material in a limited time; Unsure of what to study and in what degree of detail; Having less time for family and friends; Assessment tasks; Financial concerns; Reduced physical exercise; Having less time for hobbies or personal care; Unsure of what depth to study learning objectives; Presenting cases to doctors; Sleep deprivation; Pressure form consultants, performing clinical procedures and interactions with senior doctors come next on the list. This is based on the findings of Australian researchers who assessed psychological distress in 122 graduate-entry students using the 21-item Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. Forty-five per cent scored in the moderate-extremely high range for anxiety, compared with an estimated 13% in the general population. Depression was four percentage points higher at 17% vs 13%. Source
