Why Do Medical Students Have So Much Test Anxiety? | Dr. Jessi Gold

Knock Knock, Hi! with the Glaucomfleckens

We sit down with Dr. Jessi Gold, a psychiatrist and Chief Wellness Officer for the University of Tennessee system. We dive into the challenges of managing wellness for over 80,000 students and faculty across five campuses, the complexities of test anxiety in medical education, and the evolving definition of burnout in healthcare. Dr. Gold also shares insights on the impact of perfectionism and competition in pre-med culture, and how these pressures contribute to long-term stress and burnout. Tune in for an in-depth conversation on mental health, wellness, and the steps healthcare systems can take to support students and professionals.

Takeaways:

Test anxiety is a major issue for medical students, often leading to physical symptoms such as nausea and sleeplessness, and it persists throughout their training.

Burnout is a widespread problem in healthcare and higher education, but it’s often misunderstood and used as a catch-all term for workplace stress.

The role of a Chief Wellness Officer involves addressing both mental health and overall well-being across multiple domains, such as emotional, physical, and financial health.

Perfectionism and competition begin early in pre-med culture and are significant contributors to stress, leading to burnout later in medical training and practice.

Removing high-stakes test scores, like with the shift to pass/fail systems, can create new forms of competition, such as requiring more research or extracurricular achievements to stand out.

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