Academic Stressors and Sociodemographic Vulnerabilities Among Ottawa Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Medical students experience high levels of stress that affect their well-being, academic performance, and professional development, but Canadian data on how sociodemographic factors shape these experiences remain limited. This study aimed to identify the main training-related stressors and their associations with sociodemographic variables among medical students at the University of Ottawa. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional bilingual online survey between May and August 2024 using the 40-item Medical Student Stressors Questionnaire (MSSQ). Variables included age, year of study, gender, LGBTQ2S + identity, ethnicity, rural or urban background, living situation, financial status, disability, and dependents. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and multivariate regression analyses were performed using SPSS v29. The study received ethics approval from the University of Ottawa Research Ethics Board. Results A total of 70 undergraduate MD students participated in the survey (approximate response rate = 10.42%), with 60 completed responses included for final analysis (85.7%). The mean overall MSSQ score was 2.63 ± 0.79 (moderate stress). Academic-related stressors (ARS) were most prominent, particularly “Large amount of content,” “Need to do well,” and “Exams and tests.” Pre-clerkship students showed higher stress across domains. Male students reported greater ARS (p = 0.006), and those with disabilities higher group activities-related stress (p = 0.034). Living with family predicted higher teaching- and learning-related stress (p = 0.005). Interpretation: Stress is prevalent among medical trainees, with domain-specific vulnerabilities suggesting a need for both universal and targeted interventions to promote equity and learner well-being in undergraduate medical education.