The study on physiological indexes of exam anxiety in medical students

Background and Objective: Exams are used as the most important tool for the educational progress in all of the educational levels. Success or failure in an exam usually has a crucial effect in a person's future; consequently it brings about anxiety for most of the people's potentiality. The purpose of this study is to assess the physiological indices of anxiety in the medical students. Material and methods: This analytical study was carried out on 46 medical students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. To measure physiologic indices, including blood pressure, pulse, and temperature were performed on students before and after physiological exam and also blood test for the study of blood indices (cortisol and CBC) before exam was performed and spiel burger trait-state anxiety questionnaire was used to assess the anxiety rate. Statistical studies were done by descriptive statistics and paired t-test. Findings: From physiological indices, rate of heartbeat increased significantly (P=0.01) after exam. The study of blood indexes also indicated that cortisol level and the other blood indices except (eosinophil, monocyte and lymphocyte) were normal. According to assessment of spiel burger questionnaire, the relation of trait - anxiety was significant (P=0.02) before and after exam in students. So that 4% of the students had strong trait-anxiety (hidden) before the exam and 11% of them had strong trait-anxiety after the exam. Conclusion: The study of physiological indices of test anxiety in medical students indicated a significant difference on trait-anxiety (hidden) before and after exam, and difference was also significant on tachycardia of test subjects after exams. Along this way, the education of contrastive guide lines seems essential in student's anxiety reduction.