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Table 1 Categories and issues for the theme, “What a medical student’s life is like” from focus groups

From: What do medical students think about their quality of life? A qualitative study

CATEGORY

ISSUES

EXAMPLES

Power and status of the profession

Status

“There is a power in the profession, which has an effect on patients’ lives. This power is theoretical and practical; thus, some people feel as if they were demigods.”

Omnipotence

“We deal with life, as if we were God!”

Experience of disease, pain, suffering, death

Humanitarianism

“I think we should have a more humanistic training.”

Understanding of the social reality

“You cannot solve the social problems that cause the disease.”

Fear/insecurity

Professional perfomance

“Can I manage it? I don’t know anything.”

Changes in lifestyle

Adaptation difficulties

“I entered the program, moved to town. I live alone. I did not feel myself the same.”

Competition

In training, residency, and professional life

“The competition is big for monitoring, clerkship, and residency.”

Immaturity

Age

“I started the program at the age of 17.”

Getting mature

“So, I think that it makes you mature quicker.”

Responsiblity

“I have responsibilities as a student that I never had.”

Curriculum

Contents

“You have to study, there’s much content…”

Methods

“I think one difference is that in PBL they have time and do not know what to study. In the traditional method we know what to study, but do not have time.”

Assessments

“Nobody can be happy with assessments every day.”

Models

Teachers

“I want to be like Patch Adams.”

Satisfaction

Personal satisfaction times sacrifices

“It is like having a baby, you know? The baby steals your personal life, your time, your girlfriend, your hours of sleep and occupies space in your house. However, you are completely crazy for him or her. This is the same feeling in medical school, it is great.”

  

“You look like hell’ (my friend said)…and I answered, ‘Thanks! I did not sleep last night and was in college the whole day.’ Well, she is getting married and I don’t even have time to get a boyfriend.”