EXAM ANXIETY AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS IN MODULAR VS. TRADITIONAL CURRICULA

Abstract

Background: The occurrence of exam anxiety in medical education is a common concern, during a time period especially when medical institutions are shifting from a traditional discipline-based curricular to an integrated modular curricular. Though these reforms are aimed at improving learning, their impact on student psychology particularly in pressured Asian countries remains to be inadequately recognized.

Objective: The present study was conducted for determination towards prevalence of exam anxiety among 533 MBBS students at Lahore Medical & Dental College, evaluating the experiences among the traditional & integrated modular curriculum cohorts and identification of significant contributing variables.

Methods: It is a cross-sectional study involving medical students from first- to fifth-year who filled in a formerly validated 40-item questionnaire that assessed attitudinal symptoms, study routine, curriculum understanding, and peer pressure.

Results: Significant percentage accounting to 99.81 students disclosed nervousness before exam & difficulty in concentration endorsing, that exam anxiety is a common phenomenon. Students experienced significant physiological symptoms—shakiness (χ² = 80.700, p < 0.001) and racing heartbeat (χ² = 73.322, p < 0.001)—alongside cognitive disruption. The fear of failing persisted even among the prime students (χ² = 52.457, p < 0.001), though procrastination which was motivated by panic of not comprehending syllabus did emerge as an important demeanor (χ² = 59.654, p < 0.001). Having a structured curriculum proved important: while persistent evaluations increased strain (χ² = 15.784, p < 0.001), whereas predictable curricula offered protection (χ² = 12.127, p < 0.001). Access to counsel didn’t show any significant association with reduction in anxiety.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the existence of exam anxiety amid the medical students of Pakistan portrayed a systemic dilemma that extended beyond typical educational strain. The ubiquitous occurrence and crucial features required an immediate response from the institutions which saw past the fact that anxiety was an individual weakness towards the formation & integration of profound well-being programs and having access to mental health services along with designing of sound curriculum.