Academic Procrastination in Clinical-Year Medical Students: A PASS Scale Analysis

Abstract Background Academic procrastination, the maladaptive postponement of academic tasks, University students frequently engage in this behavior, which adversely affects medical students' emotional well-being and academic performance Objective To determine the prevalence of academic procrastination and identify its psychological correlates, and year\ gender differences in procrastination among clinical-year medical students at the University of Khartoum Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 257 fourth- to sixth-year medical students using a modified Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students (PASS). The scale evaluated procrastination frequency in three tasks (exam preparation, term paper writing, and weekly readings) and 13 possible psychological and behavioral reasons for procrastination. Data were analyzed using R version 4.5.1 (ANOVA, t-tests, Pearson correlations). Results Among 257 participating students, procrastination was most frequent for weekly reading assignments (69.8%), followed by exam preparation (58.9%) and term paper writing (55%). Fifth-year students consistently reported the highest procrastination levels across all tasks. Despite greater demands, 6th-year students scored lower (mean: 6th year 19.9 vs 5th year 22.7, p = 0.007). Female students showed significantly greater procrastination in weekly readings than males (7.8 vs 6.9, p = 0.003). where no significant difference in other tasks. The strongest associations with procrastination were laziness (r = 0.39), task aversiveness (r = 0.24), and low self-esteem (r = 0.22), while factors such as peer pressure, dependency, and fear of success showed no significant association Conclusion Academic procrastination is a prevalent issue among medical students at the University of Khartoum, particularly in relation to exam preparation and weekly reading assignments. Interventions should target motivational barriers (e.g., task aversion) and self-regulation deficits to help students manage their academic responsibilities more effectively.