Assessment of Academic Motivation Level of Undergraduate Medical Students of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan

Objective To assess the academic motivation level of undergraduate medical students of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Methods A total of 378 Poonch Medical College (PMC) students were included in this cross-sectional study. The academic motivation scores of the study subjects were measured using a 28-item, five-point Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) questionnaire originally developed by Deci and Ryan (1985). The tool was checked for internal consistency and was interviewer-administered. Motivation level was quantitatively presented and compared across gender and medical years. Results The highest mean motivation score (4.04 +/- 2.71) was observed for the statement "Because this will help me make a better choice regarding my career orientation." The following statements showed a statistically significantly higher mean motivation level in females as compared to males: "Because eventually, it will enable me to enter the job market in a field that I like" (p.008) and "for the pleasure that I experience when I read interesting authors" (p.001). But for the statement, "I once had good reasons for going to college; however, now I wonder whether I should continue," males showed a higher motivation level (p.0.19). A statistically significant difference in mean motivation level was seen across medical years for the following statements: "For the intense feelings I experience when I am communicating my own ideas to others," "For the pleasure that I experience when I read interesting authors," "Because this will help me make a better choice regarding my career orientation," "For the satisfaction I feel when I am in the process of accomplishing difficult academic activities," and "Because I want to show myself that I can succeed in my studies" (p-value < .05). Conclusion This study analyzed mean motivation scores for all AMS questions. The study identified that the most common motivational factor for pursuing medical education was because the students thought this will help them make a better choice regarding their career orientation.