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1st Int. Transborder Conf. of the Timor Island: Timor %u2013 Science without borderDili, 7-8 May 2025123Why Are Medical Students Depressed? A Medical School Case StudyIka F. Buntoro1, Marcelino K.P.A. Keraf2and Nicholas E. Handoyo1*1Faculty of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Nusa Cendana, Indonesia.2 Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Nusa Cendana, Kupang, Indonesia*Corresponding author: nicholas.handoyo@staf.undana.ac.idAbstractSome medical students do not graduate on time and face significant challenges during their clerkship year, which can impact medical school accreditation. Studies have shown that 27%u201332% of medical students experience depression. The findings of this study provide important policy recommendations to enhance students%u2019 resilience and wellbeing, particularly in rural medical schools with limited resources. This qualitative study aimed to explore the stressors, risk factors, and support systems encountered by students during their clerkship. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine clerkship students from a rural medical school in Nusa Tenggara Timur Province, Indonesia. Participants were purposively selected based on specific criteria: students who struggledacademically (i.e., failed %u22653 clinical rotations or failed the national competence exam %u22653 times). All participants volunteered to join the study. Data saturation was reached after nine interviews, so no additional participants were recruited. The interviews were conducted between July 2022 and March 2023. Transcripts were thematically analysed using Richardson%u2019s Resiliency Model as the theoretical framework. The transcripts were coded using pre-developed codes based on the model, and the resulting codes were organized into subthemes and overarching themes. Several stressors were identified, with the most modifiable being related to the role of clinical supervisors in the teaching and learning process. Both risk and protective factors affecting students%u2019 resilience and well-being were noted, particularly those linked to academic processes. Clinical supervisors play a crucial role in fostering student resilience. Therefore, training is needed to help supervisors transition from being potential sources of stress to becoming supportive figures in the students%u2019 learning journey.Keywords: clinical clerkships; medical students; psychological stressors; resilience.