Abstract
ABSTRACT
Objective
To study mental and physical health of undergraduate medical students at various stages of traditional subject based curriculum.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted on medical students (n=110) in a private medical college of Islamabad in May 2006. SF-36, a validated instrument for mental and physical health assessment, was used. Responses were decoded as per SF-36 analysis protocol. Standardized Cronbach’s alpha was done as a test of reliability. The survey was filled by the participant anonymously and submission of the filled questionnaire was taken as consent. All hypotheses were tested at the 0.05 level of significance using 2 tailed statistics.
Results
Out of 200 survey forms sent, 110 were returned from all classes. Standardized Cronbach’s alpha was 0.89. Analysis of variance revealed that physical functioning, general health perceptions, vitality and social functioning for 2nd year students were significantly less than rest of the four classes while Role Limitations because of Physical Problems and Role Limitations because of Emotional Problems for 2nd year class were significantly low when compared with year 1, 3 and 5. Bodily pain and mental health for 2nd year students were significantly (P<0.05) low as compared to students of year 3 & 5 and 3, 4 & 5 respectively.
Conclusion
Self-perceived mental and physical health in pre-clinical medical students is decreased. (Rawal Med J 2010;35: ).
Key words
HRQL, medical students, stress, curriculum.

INTRODUCTION
Generally, medical education is considered to be one of the most stressful undergraduate training worldwide. Modern day curricula have taken into account this stress in recent past and are now aiming at reduced information overload at undergraduate levels and stress management strategies. It is widely recognized now that it is more important to produce physicians who are better able to manage their information and knowledge needs themselves.
Shifa College of Medicine follows 5 year undergraduate curriculum which is predominantly subject based with some islands of problem oriented integrated teaching. Students study Physiology, Anatomy and Biochemistry during first two years; General Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Pharmacology in 3rd year; System-Specific Pathology, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology and Community Health Sciences in fourth year; clinical subjects (Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics and Obstetrics/Gynecology) spanned over the last three years. Unfortunately, Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) in medical students has not been studied extensively in Pakistan. ‘Quality of Life’ is a term with vast parameters but in light of evidence it can be argued that personal view of health affects it more than any other parameters.1 Our study is just a small step to initially identify statistical data as related to health trends in medical education. Our hope is that it will be starting point of a series of stud

Key words: HRQL, medical students, stress, curriculum.