title: Anxiety and depression in medical students related to desire for and expectations from a medical career.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this article, we aimed to analyse the anxiety and depression levels of medical student's related to their desire for a career in medicine and expectations from that career.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional design, students from the first two years of medical school filled-out a questionnaire consisting of demographics, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (HADS) and questions about their medical career decision.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean anxiety score was 7.66 +/- 3.21 and the mean depression score was 5.77 +/- 3.45. According to cut-off levels, 20.3% of medical students had anxiety, 29.3% had depressive symptoms. Males and second year students had significantly high levels of depression (p < 0.05). Students who were pressured to become doctors and who expected to gain much money were both more anxious and more depressed (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  External pressures, desire to become a medical doctor and expectations from a medical education have significant effects on anxiety and depression levels of medical students. Guidance for affected students is important and this is the responsibility of medical educators and faculties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Education and Informatics, Meram Medical Faculty, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey. drnkaraoglu@gmail.com
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karaoglu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002321:Career Choice; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult