@article{ref1,
title="Comparing the distress of American and Israeli medical students studying in Israel during a period of terror",
journal="Medical education",
year="2006",
author="Kovatz, Susy and Kutz, Ilan and Rubin, Gil and Dekel, Rachel and Shenkman, Louis",
volume="40",
number="4",
pages="389-393",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: Medical school is a very stressful environment with multiple sources of stress, including academic, social and other issues. International medical students are exposed to additional stressors such as homesickness and culture shock. METHODS: In order to assess the influence of cultural background on the level of perceived distress, we examined Israeli and American students studying at the same university during a period of terror. RESULTS: We found clear differences between the 2 groups of students, with Americans reporting a higher level of anxiety and a poorer level of social functioning than the Israelis. Although there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of their sense of safety, the American students reported a higher level of fear and more change in their daily activities to a greater extent than did the Israelis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the effect of culture on students' responses to the same stressful stimuli and to a perceived dangerous environment. Faculty needs to be aware that cultural factors may affect students' adjustment to the medical school environment.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0308-0110",
doi="10.1111/j.1365-2929.2006.02409.x",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2929.2006.02409.x"
}