EARLY INTERVENTION: A HOLISTIC MODEL OF MEDICAL STUDENT ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL WELLNESS

Medical students experience high levels of academic stress and burnout during the transition into medical school, underscoring the need for structured systems that support both academic performance and holistic wellness. The purpose of this inquiry was to examine the relationship between early identification and intervention processes and first-semester medical student academic outcomes within a newly implemented early alert framework. Guided by Hettler’s Wellness Theory, this study explored how formalized monitoring structures influence both performance and well-being. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from first-year medical students (N = 97) during the first semester of training. Academic performance data were categorized into pass, at-risk, and fail designations through weekly monitoring within the Navigate360+ system. Students also completed the Academic Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ), the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Student Survey (MBI-SS), a structured wellness plan assessment, and the 16Personalities inventory. Findings indicated a positive relationship between structured early intervention and academic performance. While students reported increased stress and fatigue as coursework progressed, overall burnout levels remained moderate. The implementation of consistent monitoring and advisor follow-up created predictable mechanisms for identifying and addressing academic challenges. These findings support integrating systematic early intervention models with intentional wellness frameworks to promote academic achievement and holistic well-being in medical education.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Department dc:contributor.department

Educational Leadership

Grantor dc:publisher

East Carolina University

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• O'Dell, Jennifer Parrish

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Jerry Johnson, EdD

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Travis Lewis, EdD
• Jason Perry, PhD, LCMHC

• Education, Higher Education Administration

Language dc:language.iso

English

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10342/14704

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:thescholarship.ecu.edu:10342/14704