Medical students' quarter-life crisis

Objectives: This was the first study that explored factors associated with
medical students’ quarter-life crisis, the anxiety young might experience
at the end of their studies and in the beginning of their career. Methods:
351 medical students (74.6% female, M: 23.79 years, SD: 1.53 years) filled
the online questionnaire, that contained Quarter-life Crisis
Questionnaire, International Personality Item Pool version of Big Five
markers, and questions about different aspects of medical school.
Independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and linear regression analysis was
performed. Results: Women reported higher quarter-life crisis. Pre-medical
school experiences: Higher quarter-life crisis displayed among those
students who did not apply to medical university right after high school.
Attitudes on medical school: students who would have not applied to
medical school again; would have not encouraged their children to apply to
medical school; were uncertain to finish the university showed higher
quarter life crisis. Factors of academic achievement: students who failed
at least one term for academic reason; did not feel to get proper
knowledge to accomplish a medical job; were not satisfied with their
grades reported higher quarter life crisis. Future plans: Students who did
not plan to work in a clinical field and patient care; wanted to work
abroad in the future had higher quarter life crisis. Personality traits:
Extraversion, conscientiousness were significant negative, neuroticism
significant positive predictor of quarter life crisis. Conclusion: The
explored variables might be indicators of quarter-life crisis, and can be
the basis of university counseling, when medical students’ quarter-life
crisis and emerging adulthood is in focus.