Introduction:

The level of demand during the academic training of medical students is very high and when they do not have adequate coping strategies, it is very likely that their academic performance and health will be affected by exposure to chronic stress situations.

Objective:

Identify coping strategies related to chronic stress and compare the data between male and female medical students from a public university in Mexico.

Method:

Observational and cross-sectional study with the participation of 873 medical students in 2018 from a public university. Nowack’s Stress Symptom Inventory and Stress Profile were used. The data were analyzed with the multiple regression statistic and compared between men and women.

Results:

The regression model statistically validated that the coping styles: positive assessment, minimization of threat and negative assessment (R2 = 0.51; F = 232.71; p < 0.01) were predictors of chronic stress in this sample. The comparative analysis showed a significant difference, in coping strategies as well as in chronic stress and the highest level was in women. And the highest level was in women.

Conclusions:

Female medical students show a higher risk for chronic stress and non-adaptive coping styles such as negative judgments, minimization of threat and few positive evaluations compared to men, which could lead to damage to their health and academic performance.