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Utah's Foremost Platform for Undergraduate Research Presentation
2024 Abstracts

Achievement Goals and Burnout in Pre-Health Profession Undergraduate Students

Authors: Hunter Nelson
Mentors: Jamie Jensen
Insitution: Brigham Young University

Burnout is a mental condition resulting from prolonged stress in work or school. The Healthcare workforce experiences burnout much more than other career fields and many students in undergraduate STEM are pursuing a career in this field. The Pre-Health degree is one of the most competitive and demanding majors in STEM and we expect there to be high levels of burnout amongst these students. Our purpose was to gather and analyze data on the goals and burnout of pre-health care undergraduate students. We used surveys to collect data from students ranging from Freshmen to Seniors. The survey asked students questions regarding their goal motivations and feelings of burnout. Our results display a correlation between mastery-avoidance and experiencing burnout. By understanding these relationships, we can better help pre-health students avoid burnout.