Clinical trial NCT05483335: Assessing Burnout in Medical Students in Clerkship Years in United Arab Emirates
Official title: Assessing the Frequency of Burnout Syndrome Among Medical Students in United Arab Emirates University and Identifying Any Associated Factors
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Conditions: Burnout, Student
Burnout, Professional
Educational Problems
Keywords: Medical Student
Clerkship
Burnout syndrome
Medical Education
Untied Arab Emirates
Lead sponsor: United Arab Emirates University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2022-08-02
Enrollment: 132
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 40
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: OTHER
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Medical student of the 5th and 6th year (clinical/clerkship years) of the 6-year MD programme

We plan to include at least 132 medical students based on sample size calculation with total population of 200 clerkship students with 95% confidence level and 5% margin of error.

Brief summary: Burnout Syndrome is a medical condition caused by long-term job-related strain and is defined by presence of either one or more of the three states i.e. emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment. Burnout has been shown to cause decreased work output and mental well being of employees and increase errors at workplace. Burnout is observed in various lines of work and but has been found to be especially high among academic students undertaking professional studies as well as healthcare professionals. Medical students in their clerkship years undergo high stake exams, while adapting from classroom and simulation learning to participate in clinical care of patients in hospital care setting with no prior experience, which much them vulnerable to developing burnout during medical school. Burnout can effect medical students' well-being, which may continue into their internship and residency so greater emphasis in required on creating an awareness of burnout and identifying any factors associated to its development.

Detailed description: Burnout syndrome can develop after a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal workplace stressors, and is defined by 3 dimensions - emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment. Burnout syndrome can be prevalent in up to half the medical students and those studies have suggested poor mental health among them. Various external and internal factors may contribute to burnout in medical students and little is known about the impact and mechanism of these factors in developing burnout. Burnout can develop, persist or worsen in residency years and it has been found to frequent among Diabetes specialty residents in United Kingdom as well in Emirati medical residents. Burnout can affect overall wellbeing of medical students with health consequences as well as poor work engagement/ educational outcomes.

To the best of authors knowledge no data exists on burnout in undergraduate medical students in clinical years (clerkship) in United Arab Emirates

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Medical students (5th and 6th year) of college of medicine and health sciences in United Arab Emirates University
2. Currently attending the college, not on sick leave or long-term absence.
3. Agreed to participate after Informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

Self-reported presence of active mental health illness or current treatment.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Assess the frequency of burnout syndrome in clerkship medical students (5th and 6th year of MD program) collected over 3 months period.
timeFrame: cross-sectional with data collected over 3 months
measure: Assess factors associated with presence of burnout syndrome in clerkship medical students (5th and 6th year of MD program) collected over 3 months period.
timeFrame: cross-sectional with data collected over 3 months
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Al Ain
country: United Arab Emirates
facility: Internal Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences
state: Abu Dhabi
Study officials:
affiliation: United Arab Emirates University, College of Medicine & Health Sciences
name: Adnan Agha
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Dyrbye LN, Thomas MR, Huntington JL, Lawson KL, Novotny PJ, Sloan JA, Shanafelt TD. Personal life events and medical student burnout: a multicenter study. Acad Med. 2006 Apr;81(4):374-84. doi: 10.1097/00001888-200604000-00010.
citation: Ishak W, Nikravesh R, Lederer S, Perry R, Ogunyemi D, Bernstein C. Burnout in medical students: a systematic review. Clin Teach. 2013 Aug;10(4):242-5. doi: 10.1111/tct.12014.
citation: Agha A, Basu A, Hanif W. Burnout in diabetes and endocrinology specialist registrars across England, Scotland and Wales in the pre-COVID era. Prim Care Diabetes. 2022 Aug;16(4):515-518. doi: 10.1016/j.pcd.2022.05.005. Epub 2022 Jun 3.