The goal of this observational study is to assess the status of self-esteem in medical students of a medical college, focusing on different academic years, and various sociodemographic factors. The main questions it aims to answer are:

What is the prevalence of low, normal, and high self-esteem among medical students?

How do sociodemographic factors (age, gender, nationality, scholarship status, religion, academic year, education level of parents, occupation of parents, motivation behind choosing medicine as a career) influence self-esteem in medical students?

Since this is an observational study, there is no formal comparison group. Researchers will explore the variations in self-esteem levels based on sociodemographic characteristics.

Participants will complete a semi-structured questionnaire providing demographic details, such as age, gender, academic year, and parental education/occupation, and answering the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.

Self-esteem is the assessment and experience related to self-value, the insight of self-ability as well as the reception of the whole self. Abraham Maslow involved self-esteem in his "hierarchy of human needs" which he depicted it in two forms - the need for respect from others (in the form of recognition, success, and admiration), and the need for self-respect (in the form of self-love, self-confidence, skill, or aptitude).

Despite being a predictor of high academic achievement and overall happiness, very few studies are done in medical students of Nepal. This study aims to assess the status of self-esteem in medical students and compare the prevalence of low, normal and high self-esteem among medical students of different academic years. For this study, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale tool is being used. To obtain the data for the study, convenience sampling technique will be used. Research is conducted among medical students of Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital, from 20th August to 10th September. The sample size is calculated as 227. The data will be collected via a semi-structured questionnaire in the English language via Google Forms. SPSS version 26.0 will be used to analyse the data.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 18 years or older
• Medical students from first year to final year studying Bachelor in Medicine and Bachelor in surgery at Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital
• Willing to participate in the study and provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Student studying Bachelor of Dental Surgery and Paramedical Studies
• Those who do not fill up the form completely
• Those who are interns and already graduated from medical college
• Those who do not give consent

First year to Fourth year medical student studying at Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital

The individual participant data (IPD) to be shared will include all anonymized data relevant to the study, such as demographic information (age, gender, etc.), clinical outcomes, laboratory values, and any other study-specific variables that may have been collected. The IPD will be anonymized to ensure patient confidentiality and in compliance with ethical standards for data privacy.

IPD and supporting information will be available from January 2025 to January 2026. IPD and supporting information will be available beginning 6 months after the publication of results and will be accessible for 2 years.

Access to the IPD and supporting information will be available to researchers who provide a research plan and have the necessary ethical approvals. Researchers can request access via email request to the corresponding author. The data will be provided in a secure format to ensure confidentiality and appropriate use. Additionally, the journal will provide access to the data as part of the publication process, in line with their data sharing policies, once the study results are published