Cureus, 2025/07, 17(7):e88859. doi: 10.7759/cureus.88859, type of study: ,css,

Free full text   (https://www.cureus.com/articles/348472-academic-entitlement-in-osteopathic-medical-students#!/)

Keywords:

academic entitlement [1]
cross sectional study [894]
medical students [693]
osteopathic medicine [2108]
responsibility [3]
USA [1751]

Abstract:

Introduction: Academic entitlement (AE) is the tendency to hold a certain expectation of academic success without taking personal responsibility. The purpose of this study was to define AE in osteopathic medical education and assess AE in osteopathic medical students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey (n=145) was conducted at a school of osteopathic medicine using the Qualtrics Survey Platform (Provo, Utah, United States). The survey consisted of demographic data, academic performance, student satisfaction, and responses from two validated AE instruments. To be eligible, students had to be enrolled full time and a member of the OMS-1 to OMS-4 cohorts. Results: Students classified as academically entitled were significantly more likely to agree with statements reflecting externalized responsibility (ER) and entitled expectations (EE) (p<0.05). Additionally, students with higher AE scores were 3.8 times more likely to have a GPA below 85% (p=0.012), indicating a possible relationship between AE and lower academic success. Conclusion: Identifying academically entitled students early in their academic career provides an opportunity to intervene in the areas of unrealistic expectations, negative peer dynamics, and unprofessional conduct.