Reducing Stress and Promoting Social Integration of International Medical Students through a Tandem Program: Results of a Prospective-Program Evaluation

Anne Herrmann-Werner, Florian Junne, Felicitas Stuber, Daniel Huhn, Christoph Nikendei, Tanja Seifried-Dübon, Stephan Zipfel and Rebecca Erschens
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Anne Herrmann-Werner: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tuebingen, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
Florian Junne: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tuebingen, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
Felicitas Stuber: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tuebingen, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
Daniel Huhn: Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Thibautstraße 2, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
Christoph Nikendei: Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Thibautstraße 2, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
Tanja Seifried-Dübon: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tuebingen, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
Stephan Zipfel: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tuebingen, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
Rebecca Erschens: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tuebingen, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: Medical students, and especially international medical students (IMS), have been shown to experience more psychological distress than the general student population in Germany. In order to address these issues, a structured Tandem Program (TP) to reduce stress and foster social integration of IMS has been introduced at the Medical Faculty of Tuebingen. The Tandem Program was evaluated prospectively with perceived stress (PSQ-20) as the main outcome. Secondary outcomes were ‘motives to participate’ in the TP, ‘specific stressors’, and ‘experiences made’ during the program. Stress levels of IMS at the beginning of the program (t 0 ) (M = 48.14, SD = 11.95) were higher than those of German participants (M = 39.33, SD = 8.31) (t (67) = −3.66, p < 0.001). At the end of the TP (t 1 ), stress levels of international students were significantly lower than at t 0 . “Improved ability to work in a team” was seen as one of the most beneficial factors. The results indicate that tandem programs at medical faculties may be a promising curricular intervention towards reducing stress levels, improving integration of international students, and to enhance intercultural and team-oriented competencies in both international and national medical students.

Keywords: tandem project; international medical students; psychological distress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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