title: Self-reported extracurricular activity, academic success, and quality of life in UK medical students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationship between academic performance, extracurricular activity, and quality of life at medical school in the UK to aid our understanding of students' work-life balance.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study, using an electronic questionnaire distributed to UK final year medical students across 20 medical schools (4478 students). Participants reported the hours of self-regulated learning and extracurricular activities undertaken each year at medical school; along with their academic decile (1 = highest, 10 = lowest). Self-reported quality of life (QoL) was assessed using an established screening tool (7 = highest, 1 = lowest).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven hundred responses were obtained, across 20 participating medical schools, response rate 16% (700/4478). Factors associated with higher academic achievement were: graduate entry course students (2 deciles higher, p < 0.0001), more hours academic study during term and revision periods (rho=-0.1, p < 0.01), and involvement in teaching or research. Increased hours of study was associated with lower QoL (rho = -0.13, p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study skills may be more important than duration spent studying, for academic achievement and QoL. Graduate-entry students attain higher decile scores despite similar self-reported duration of study.
authors.affiliation: Department of medicine, University of Birmingham,UK.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lumley
authors.affiliation: Department of medicine, Royal stoke university hospital,UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Department of medical education, Warwick medical school, university of Warwick,UK.
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Department of paediatrics, University of Cambridge,UK.
authors.forename: Jake P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report; D013337:Students, Medical; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: academic achievement; extracurricular activity; medical student; quality of life