A longitudinal study of students. Perceptions of using deep breathing meditation to reduce testing stresses

Abstract

Background: Stress can impact student performance. Yet few medical schools pro-vide students with a consistent opportunity to develop and regularly practice stress-reduction techniques to aid them academically. Description: A curriculum component designed to assist 64 postbaccalaureate mi-nority students in developing and practicing a stress-management technique was implemented on a regular basis from June 2004 to April 2006. Students participated in Deep Breathing Meditation exercises in two classes and completed pre-, post-, and follow-up surveys each academic year. Evaluation: Students reported having perceptions of decreased test anxiety, nervous-ness, self-doubt, and concentration loss, using the technique outside of the two classes, and believing it helped them academically and would help them as a physician. Conclusions: The Deep Breathing Meditation technique was successfully imple-mented each academic year, and it provided students with a promising solution for meeting challenging academic and professional situations. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 19(3), 287–292 Copyright C © 2007 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. It is widely accepted that medical school can be stressful.1−9 Since the late 1980s a growing number of medical schools and universities have offered stu-dents stress-reduction programs.10−14 More recently