The interplay of grit, resilience, and burnout among medical students during exams: a cross-sectional study in Mansoura University, Egypt

Medical students experience significant stress, particularly during exams, contributing to burnout. This study examined the relationships between grit, resilience, and burnout among 653 Mansoura University medical students during exams. Data were collected via an online questionnaire assessing burnout using the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT-23), grit with the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S), and resilience with the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). The mean burnout score was 3.62 (SD = 0.67), with exhaustion (M = 3.96, SD = 0.74) and cognitive impairment (M = 3.66, SD = 0.92) as the most prominent symptoms. Female students had lower resilience (M = 2.87 vs. 3.11, p < 0.001) and higher burnout (M = 3.69 vs. 3.55, p = 0.009), while older students showed lower grit (M = 2.86 vs. 3.00, p = 0.008) and higher burnout (M = 3.69 vs. 3.58, p = 0.048). Burnout was negatively correlated with grit (r = -0.595, p < 0.001) and resilience (r = -0.519, p < 0.001), while grit and resilience were positively correlated (r = 0.426, p < 0.001). Multivariate regression identified grit (β = -0.458, p < 0.001) and resilience (β = -0.315, p < 0.001) as protective factors. Strengthening grit and resilience may help students manage academic stress and reduce burnout.