EXPLORING STUDY HABITS OF MEDICAL STUDENTS IN AN UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL SCHOOL IN PESHAWAR: A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Objective: To explore the study habits of undergraduate medical students and their study schedule strategies. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on medical students of Khyber Medical College, Peshawar in May 2019. A total of 118 students were invited to participate in the survey using the convenience sampling technique. However, 82 (69%) students returned signed consent forms and were then asked to complete the questionnaire. All respondents provided information about their study schedules and routines. Results: Most of the students who scored between 80 to 90% in their academics tended to study for about 2-4 hours a day, could concentrate for 1-2 hours in one stretch, and switched places during their study. Students scoring above 90% reported studying from 9 to more than 12 hours daily, studied from 2 to more than 3 hours in one stretch and their studies were unaffected by vacations.  Conclusion: The students achieving higher academic scores studied regularly for about 2-4 hours daily, could concentrate for 1-2 hours in a stretch, preferred switching places during their study, and took breaks that lasted around 30 minutes. Key Words: Medical students, study skills, academic performance.