Balancing Academics and Life: Qualitative Study of Health Professions Students’ Perceptions of a Four-Day Academic Week in the United Arab Emirates
Overall, the 4-day academic week enhanced motivation, academic performance, work-life balance, and the physical and mental well-being of medicine, dental, and health science students. However, some students experienced challenges related to condensed schedules and increased stress. These mixed outcomes highlight that while the 4-day work week offers notable advantages, careful planning and support are essential to mitigate the potential drawbacks and ensure all students can succeed within this new academic framework. Future research could explore strategies to address these challenges and further improve the 4-day week experience for all students.
Authors
- Ashokan Arumugam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5795-3812)
- Jacqueline Maria Dias (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8873-505X)
- Raneen Mohammed Qadah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3722-2095)
- Sangeetha Narasimhan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8912-6368)
- Reime Jamal Shalash (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6306-2773)
- Bashair M. Mussa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1554-6319)
- Basema Saddik (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4682-5927)
- S. Ramakrishnan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5506-1570)
- Taif A. M. Omran
- Nadia Rashed Al Mazrouei
Institutions
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education (IN)
- Khalifa University of Science and Technology (AE)
- University of Sharjah (AE)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- JMIR Medical Education
- Published
- 2025-09-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.2196/67775
- Primary Topic
- Health and Well-being Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00