Preetha Paul
Professor & HOD,
Department of Physiology,
Tagore Medical College and Hospital,
Rathinamangalam, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

• Today’s medical students are the doctors of tomorrow. Therefore, understanding the motivational factors that drive them is imperative if we wish to have motivated medical professionals in our healthcare system.
• Motivation is what drives a learner to push towards his goal despite setbacks. It is classified into intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is intrinsic to an individual and stems from his own interest in something; extrinsic motivation is driven by extraneous factors such as some consequence or outcome. As expected, intrinsic motivation does bring about higher levels of learning and achievement. However, extrinsic motivation also can bring about effective learning, when it involves internalization and integration of values.
• Among medical students, motivation depends substantially on their reasons for taking up medicine and has been found to vary in the different phases of the course. Motivation in education can improve students’ work ethic and attitude to their subject matter. All students are not equally intrinsically motivated, but a passionate teacher can create an atmosphere conducive to situated motivation and promote learning.
• Intrinsic motivation translates into improved study effort and achievement and is facilitated by addressing students’ need for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Autonomy-supportive medical education has the potential to ultimately translate not just into academic achievement, but, in the long run, into better patient care and health-care delivery. Educators should therefore design an educational climate which will foster intrinsic motivation in students, so that they will develop into life-long learners and committed healthcare deliverers of the future.
• Keywords: autonomy, competence, medical college, motivation, students