Comparing the distress of American and Israeli medical students studying in Israel during a period of terror.

Introduction: Medical school is a very stressful environment with multiple sources of stress, including academic, social and other issues. International medical students are exposed to additional stressors such as homesickness and culture shock.

Methods: In order to assess the influence of cultural background on the level of perceived distress, we examined Israeli and American students studying at the same university during a period of terror.

The effects of coffee consumption on sleep and melatonin secretion.

Background: In this study we examined the effects of caffeine on sleep quality and melatonin secretion. Melatonin is the principal hormone responsible for synchronization of sleep. Melatonin secretion is controlled by neurotransmitters that can be affected by caffeine.