Citation

Kovatz S, Kutz I, Rubin G, Dekel R, Shenkman L. Med. Educ. 2006; 40(4): 389-393.

Affiliation

New York State/American Programme, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1365-2929.2006.02409.x

PMID

16573676

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Medical school is a very stressful environment with multiple sources of stress, including academic, social and other issues. International medical students are exposed to additional stressors such as homesickness and culture shock. METHODS: In order to assess the influence of cultural background on the level of perceived distress, we examined Israeli and American students studying at the same university during a period of terror. RESULTS: We found clear differences between the 2 groups of students, with Americans reporting a higher level of anxiety and a poorer level of social functioning than the Israelis. Although there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of their sense of safety, the American students reported a higher level of fear and more change in their daily activities to a greater extent than did the Israelis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the effect of culture on students' responses to the same stressful stimuli and to a perceived dangerous environment. Faculty needs to be aware that cultural factors may affect students' adjustment to the medical school environment.

Language: en