Journal article
Effects of a veterinary student leadership program on measures of stress and academic performance
Journal of veterinary medical education, Vol.34(2), pp.112-121
2007
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/108879
PMID: 17446636
Abstract
Assuming leadership roles in veterinary student governance or club activities could be considered an added stressor for students because of the impact on time available for personal and academic activities. The study reported here evaluated the effects of participation in a leadership program and leadership activity across two classes of veterinary students on measures of stress, using the Derogatis Stress Profile (DSP), and on veterinary school academic performance, measured as annual grade-point average (GPA) over a three-year period. Program participants and their classmates completed the DSP three times across the first three years of veterinary school. On average, participating students reported self-declared stress levels that were higher and measured DSP stress levels that were lower than those of the general population. Students were more likely to assume elected or appointed leadership roles while in their first three years of the veterinary degree program if they participated in the optional leadership program and demonstrated lower stress in several dimensions. Some increased stress, as measured in some of the DSP stress dimensions, had a small but statistically significant influence on professional school GPA. The study determined that the most important predictors of students' cumulative GPA across the three-year period were the GPA from the last 45 credits of pre-veterinary coursework and their quantitative GRE scores. The results of the study indicate that neither participation in the leadership program nor taking on leadership roles within veterinary school appeared to influence veterinary school academic performance or to increase stress.
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Details
- Title
- Effects of a veterinary student leadership program on measures of stress and academic performance
- Creators
- Dale A Moore - Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Tulare, CA 93274, USA. damoore@ucdavis.eduMarla L TruscottLisa St ClairDonald J Klingborg
- Publication Details
- Journal of veterinary medical education, Vol.34(2), pp.112-121
- Academic Unit
- Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Department of
- Publisher
- Canada
- Identifiers
- 99900547586201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article