A Study on the Daily Life Experience of Medical Students using the Experience Sampling Method

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the daily life experiences of medical students and to explore gender differences in these experiences using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) as the method. The instrument, the Experience Sampling Form (ESF), consisted of questions on the external and internal experiences of the respondents. Data were collected from 2,035 ESFs by 91 students (male=52, female=39) at three medical schools for one week. The data was analyzed using the statistical tests of the t-test and χ2 test. Activity places were significantly different by gender (χ2=16.576, p=.001). Males spent more time in learning places such as schools, libraries, etc., whereas females spent their time in personal places, including their homes, dormitories, etc. Males undertook more learning activities than did females, and females undertook more social/leisure activities and basic life activities than did male students (χ2=18.753, p=.001). They were in a learning place and performing learning activities. There were significant perceptual differences between males and females about their flow levels, competency levels, and difficulty levels, based on the activity type. These results can help us to understand the daily lives of medical students and can be useful in developing counseling programs and educational activities for students.