Strength of motivation and academic performance of medical students: a longitudinal study

Students often enter medical school with high levels of motivation, yet their strength of motivation may fluctuate as they encounter the realities and rigor of the curriculum. Results from our study revealed a significant decline in the strength of motivation and examination performance as medical students advanced in basic science and core clinical training. Our findings can inform the implementation of student-supporting mechanisms that could help sustain original (or higher) levels of strength of motivation as medical students advance in their training.