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“It was clear to me that nothing else would make me happy” – a qualitative, type-building interview study on meaningfulness and motivation in medical studies at two medical faculties

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study was to qualitatively describe the relationships between the experience of meaningfulness, crises of meaning and the motivation of medical students. Methods: Semi-structured interviews using an interview guide with 20 students in the clinical study phase were analyzed using type-building qualitative content analysis according to Kuckartz. Results: , despite low levels of experience of meaningfulness or crises of meaning, showed motivation for their studies and later careers. Conclusion: Students' experiences of meaningfulness and crises of meaning were shown to be related to their motivation to study and later career entry. The proposed typology revealed individual accentuations of the students on how they can cope with experiences of meaningfulness and motivation. Further research is required to confirm the relationships found and to develop targeted interventions based on them.

Source: PubMed

DOI: 10.3205/zma001835

Authors: Albrecht, Felix, Kiessling, Claudia, Atzeni, Gina, Berberat, Pascal O., Matcau, Paula, Lutz, Gabriele

Institutions: Witten/Herdecke University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, TUM Klinikum, Technical University of Munich

Language: English

Topic: Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Quality education

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W7140073542

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