Why Do Medical Students Have So Much Test Anxiety? | Dr. Jessi Gold

We sit down with Dr. Jessi Gold, a psychiatrist and Chief Wellness Officer for the University of Tennessee system. We dive into the challenges of managing wellness for over 80,000 students and faculty across five campuses, the complexities of test anxiety in medical education, and the evolving definition of burnout in healthcare. Dr. Gold also shares insights on the impact of perfectionism and competition in pre-med culture, and how these pressures contribute to long-term stress and burnout. Tune in for an in-depth conversation on mental health, wellness, and the steps healthcare systems can take to support students and professionals. Takeaways: Test anxiety is a major issue for medical students, often leading to physical symptoms such as nausea and sleeplessness, and it persists throughout their training. Burnout is a widespread problem in healthcare and higher education, but it’s often misunderstood and used as a catch-all term for workplace stress. The role of a Chief Wellness Officer involves addressing both mental health and overall well-being across multiple domains, such as emotional, physical, and financial health. Perfectionism and competition begin early in pre-med culture and are significant contributors to stress, leading to burnout later in medical training and practice. Removing high-stakes test scores , like with the shift to pass/fail systems, can create new forms of competition, such as requiring more research or extracurricular achievements to stand out. — Want to Learn About Dr. Jessi Gold: X / Instagram / TikTok / Threads: @drjessigold Preorder Dr. Gold's book! https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/How-Do-You-Feel/Jessi-Gold/9781982199777 — To Get Tickets to Wife & Death: You can visit Glaucomflecken.com/live We want to hear YOUR stories (and medical puns)! Shoot us an email and say hi! knockknockhi@human-content.com Can’t get enough of us? Shucks. You can support the show on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive bonus shows, livestream hangouts, and much more! – http://www.patreon.com/glaucomflecken Also, be sure to check out the newsletter: https://glaucomflecken.com/glauc-to-me/ If you are interested in buying a book from one of our guests, check them all out here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dr.glaucomflecken If you like the scrubs I'm wearing, here's a link and discount code to get some Jaanuu Scrubs link: https://bit.ly/4cAvXbs code: DRG20 for 20% off first-time purchases* *This code works on full-price items only excluding embroidery! If you want more information on models I use: Anatomy Warehouse provides for the best, crafting custom anatomical products, medical simulation kits and presentation models that create a lasting educational impact. For more information go to Anatomy Warehouse DOT com. Link: Anatomy Warehouse Plus for 15% off use code: Glaucomflecken15 -- A friendly reminder from the G’s and Tarsus: If you want to learn more about Demodex Blepharitis, making an appointment with your eye doctor for an eyelid exam can help you know for sure. Visit http://www.EyelidCheck.com for more information. Today’s episode is brought to you by DAX Copilot from Microsoft. DAX Copilot is your AI assistant for automating clinical documentation and workflows helping you be more efficient and reduce the administrative burdens that cause us to feel overwhelmed and burnt out. To learn more about how DAX Copilot can help improve healthcare experiences for both you and your patients visit aka.ms/knockknockhi . Produced by Human Content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices