Abstract
BACKGROUND: Engagement and burnout symptoms among medical students are key factors influencing their academic performance, risk of dropout, and overall well-being. While research has primarily focused on negative constructs such as burnout symptoms, less attention has been given to how positive constructs, such as engagement, evolve over time. This study examines the temporal changes in medical students' engagement and exhaustion while exploring two distinct pathways: the 'bright path', which investigates engagement as a mediator between self-compassion and academic achievement, and the 'dark path', which examines exhaustion as a mediator between self-criticism and academic achievement. METHODS: Self-report measures were used to assess self-compassion, self-criticism, engagement, and exhaustion, while academic achievement was measured objectively. The data were drawn from a longitudinal research project that followed 117 medical students throughout their entire Bachelor's program. Analyses included linear growth models and parallel process latent growth curve models to examine changes over time and potential mediation effects. RESULTS: The findings show a decline in engagement and exhaustion throughout the Bachelor's program. Furthermore, neither engagement nor exhaustion mediated the relationships within the bright and dark pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Findings underscore the importance of fostering environments that promote well-being and engagement while addressing negative factors like exhaustion that can hinder student success. They also highlight the potential influence of contextual factors in shaping medical students' experiences, suggesting that interactions between personal resources and environmental demands may play a key role in shaping students' engagement, exhaustion and academic achievement.