Medical Students' Preferences Regarding Preclinical Exam Scheduling: Implications for Improving Student Well-being

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background: Medical student burnout is prevalent. Investigators have called for research evaluating whether institutional and curricular interventions can improve student wellness. The impact that exam scheduling has on medical student burnout has not been studied. Aim: To determine medical students' perceptions of the impact of preclinical exam scheduling on well-being. Methods: In 2014, a 36-item web-based survey was sent to 339 preclinical students attending the Perelman School of Medicine. Questions elicited demographics, scheduling preferences, and attitudes about how exam scheduling influenced ten burnout-associated or educationally relevant factors. Results: The survey response rate was 56%. Respondents most preferred Friday (73%, n = 139) and least preferred Monday (58%, n = 112) exams. Students selected Friday as the exam day most likely to result in improved quality of life; improved work-life balance; increased ability to pursue leisure activities/outside interests; improved mental health; decreased stress level; increased ability to visit significant others, friends, and family; and increased ability to promptly engage with material in the subsequent course. Conclusions: Scheduling preclinical exams on Fridays may be a curricular intervention that improves medical student well-being. Research is needed to determine generalizability of findings and influence of exam scheduling on knowledge acquisition and exam performance.