Medical students’ professional identity development from being actors in an objective structured teaching exercise

BackgroundThe quality of the learning environment significantly impacts student engagement and professional identity formation in health professions education. Despite global recognition of its importance, research on student perceptions of learning environments across different health education programs is scarce. This study aimed to explore how health professional students perceive their learning environment and its influence on their professional identity development.MethodsAn explanatory mixed-methods approach was employed. In the quantitative phase, the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure [Minimum–Maximum possible scores = 0–200] and Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale [Minimum–Maximum possible scores = 1–45] were administered to Qatar University-Health students (N = 908), with a minimum required sample size of 271 students. Data were analyzed using SPSS, including descriptive statistics and inferential analysis. In the qualitative phase, seven focus groups (FGs) were conducted online via Microsoft Teams. FGs were guided by a topic guide developed from the quantitative results and the framework proposed by Gruppen et al. (Acad Med 94:969-74, 2019), transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed using NVIVO®.ResultsThe questionnaire response rate was 57.8% (525 responses out of 908), with a usability rate of 74.3% (390 responses out of 525) after excluding students who only completed the demographic section. The study indicated a “more positive than negative” perception of the learning environment (Median [IQR] = 132 [116–174], Minimum–Maximum obtained scores = 43–185), and a “good” perception of their professional identity (Median [IQR] = 24 [22–27], Minimum–Maximum obtained scores = 3–36). Qualitative data confirmed that the learning environment was supportive in developing competence, interpersonal skills, and professional identity, though opinions on emotional support adequacy were mixed. Key attributes of an ideal learning environment included mentorship programs, a reward system, and measures to address fatigue and boredom.ConclusionsThe learning environment at QU-Health was effective in developing competence and interpersonal skills. Students' perceptions of their learning environment positively correlated with their professional identity. Ideal environments should include mentorship programs, a reward system, and strategies to address fatigue and boredom, emphasizing the need for ongoing improvements in learning environments to enhance student satisfaction, professional identity development, and high-quality patient care.

Much has been written about medical students' professional identity formation, the process of "becoming" a doctor. During their training, medical students interact with a range of teachers and trainers. Among these are simulated patients (SPs) who role-play patients, assisting students with their communication, procedural, and physical examination skills. With SPs regularly interacting with students, this qualitative study explored their views of students' emerging professional identities at one Australian medical school. SPs' contributions to developing professional identities were also explored. Fourteen SPs were interviewed individually or in pairs. After template analysis of the transcripts using a priori themes, a follow-up focus group (n = 7) was arranged. Although being older (implying maturity and more life experience) and exposure to real patients and previous health care experience were identified as contributing to developing an identity as a doctor, SPs recognized that for some, an existing professional identity might impede the development of a new identity. Simulated patients were of the opinion that they contributed to students' professional identities by creating a supportive environment for honing skills, which they did by realistically role-playing patient scripts, by making their bodies available, and by providing feedback as "patients." Through their authentic portrayal of patients and through their feedback, we are of the opinion that our SPs can contribute to students' developing identities as doctors. As lay individuals who often encounter students longitudinally, we believe that SPs offer a particular lens through which to view students' emerging identities as future doctors.

Learning how to apply compassion and empathy is a critical skill in medical education. The preclinical medical school curriculum traditionally emphasizes basic science without balanced care-oriented training. Many medical schools have made efforts to increase opportunities for compassion training. However, there are limited studies on the longitudinal impacts and clinical applicability following these interventions. The Zumbro Valley Medical Society Street Medicine elective introduced medical students to a person-centered approach to medicine, particularly for individuals experiencing homelessness, early in medical school. Explore the effects of the Street Medicine elective on medical students' clinical practice formation and professional identity development. Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews conducted between June 2024 and April 2025. Twenty-three medical students from Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine who participated in the Street Medicine elective were recruited by email and were enrolled in the study. Interviews were coded and analyzed using a constant comparison method and group discussions with the Reflexive Thematic Analysis framework. Through participation in the Street Medicine elective, medical students reported gaining critical interpersonal skills, enabling them to cultivate trust and relationships with individuals in the community. The elective also increased students' awareness of their own biases, and confidence in their technical skills and professional identities as future physicians. The experiences from the elective prompted students to critically analyze the dominant norms and values of the medical education and healthcare systems. Students recognized how the focus on science over people can prevent compassionate care. The Zumbro Valley Medical Society Street Medicine elective provided compassion training for medical students, with lasting effects on students' skills and professional identities 2 years after they completed the elective. Students recognized and were motivated to challenge the systemic problems that impede patient-centered care. Not applicable.

The role of Doctor of Nursing Practice programs' mission, vision, and values statements in the development of students' professional identity: A qualitative study

The aim of this article is to achieve greater understanding of the relationship between professional teacher identity and agency. From our perspective, agency is a necessary consequence of the process of construction and development of professional teacher identity. On this basis, we conducted a qualitative study involving analysis of the subjective learning experiences of three future teachers engaged in their final year of training. We analysed these experiences using a previously published analytical model based on the positional changes that occur as a consequence of the evaluation of certain objects that are key to professional identity. Our results allow us to confirm that in the case of subjective learning experiences involving positional changes, agency is key to the consolidation of an enabling professional identity.

The article deals with the peculiarities of the development and assessment of medical university students’ professional identity in a foreign language classroom. The main purpose of the study is to determine whether medical students are aware of the possibilities of their professional self-realization, what are their plans and motives regarding further career, as well as to identify possible ways to improve and develop their professional identity and positive professional image. It is successfully carried out while studying the future profession and its characteristic features through the comparative analysis of the Russian and foreign educational systems, medical professional activities in different countries of the world. The expediency of a wider use of active learning technologies in the educational process of a modern medical university in order to intensify self-determination and self-identification of students is shown. The results of a survey of medical university students are presented. It is revealed that future doctors come to the profession quite consciously, but at the same time they are practice-oriented and narrowly focused. It is concluded that there is a need to expand students’ ideas about the prospects and opportunities of their future profession, while a foreign language class can serve as a good platform for the development of a positive professional “Self-image”. It is shown that professional identity development in a foreign language class can be focused on several aspects: direct — working with professionally oriented foreign language skills as a component of a positive “I-image” of a specialist and indirect — having an impact through the studied content, formation of an attitude towards the chosen profession.

The purpose of the work was to study the processes of formation and development of professional identity. The object of this article is professional identity. The subject of the research is the formation and formation of the professional identity of a specialist. The socio-psychological vision of the I-concept of a specialist has been determined. The main components of the development model of the professional identity of an expert in an organization are presented, their content is described. Special attention is paid to the psychological mechanisms of the formation of professional identity: social categorization, identification, alienation. The authors note that the development of professional identity for professionals is better understood as one of the aspects of their socialization in the field of professional activity. In the article, on the basis of a comprehensive theoretical analysis of approaches to the problem of the development of the professional identity of a specialist in an organization that exists in domestic and foreign psychology, a theoretical model of this phenomenon has been built. It can be argued that the formation and development of a positive professional identity is considered the result of the activities of certain psychological mechanisms that are triggered by the basic needs of the individual. The starting point here is the appropriate level of growth of the professional self-consciousness and the “I-concept” of the individual. Professional identity is represented in the “I-image”. Based on a theoretical analysis of the problem of identity formation, the authors identified several factors that influence the development of identity. The main factors are: society and its structure, information environment, elements of collective activity, psycho-physiological characteristics of a person.

AAIM Recommendations to Promote Equity in the Clerkship Clinical Learning Environment

This study begins to explore whether there is a link between medical students’ professional identity development and their specialty choice. Through an online survey, third- and fourth-year students at a US medical school were asked to identify the curricular, extracurricular, and personal experiences they felt influenced their professional identity development, and which of nine known considerations influenced their specialty choice. In 141 responses (68% return rate), students most frequently identified experiences involving humans — as cadavers, patients, colleagues, mentors, and role models — as contributing to their professional identity development. Of the nine contributors to specialty decisions, students highlighted intellectual interest, patient contact, procedural skills, lifestyle, and career opportunities. Narrative responses to both questions consistently emphasized the value of emotionally positive clerkship experiences, patient encounters, role models, and mentors. The abundance and consistency of these responses suggest that positive interpersonal and clinical experiences may influence both professional identity development and specialty choice.

Development of professional identity during early training in oral and maxillofacial surgery: a qualitative study

The present study aimed to explore the professional identity development of English teachers through the lens of the Possible Selves Theory, focusing on the experiences of three distinct groups of educators. An explanatory sequential mixed‐method research design was employed using 194 student, novice and experienced English teachers working or studying at various state schools in Turkey. The findings suggested that teacher groups held similar perceptions of their ideals and fears and there was not a significant difference among student, novice and experienced English teacher groups in terms of their possible selves. Additionally, the results revealed that the participants placed a significant emphasis on factors such as professional development, language proficiency, professional competence, personal attributes and recognition in relation to their ideal language teacher selves. The major fears related to their professional identity included language incompetence, inadequate professional development, undesirable personal attributes, undesired professional tendencies and a lack of recognition. The participants also noted various external and internal factors that influenced their possible selves. Based on the findings, a data‐driven model on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teacher Professional Identity Development (TPID) is proposed to contribute to the existing literature in the field. Context and Implications Rationale for this study Knowing about teachers' current thoughts and their expectations and fears for the future can aid in understanding their identities and potentially transform their future selves, thereby improving the formation of their professional identity. Why the new findings matter The findings of this study are significant as they add to the existing literature on English teachers' professional identity development using the Possible Selves Theory. This framework allows for an examination of teachers' expectations and fears, providing a comprehensive understanding of their professional selves and how these perceptions influence their future actions and goals. This knowledge is critical for designing teacher training programmes and professional development initiatives that support teachers' ongoing professional growth. Implications It is recommended to give increased attention and emphasis to the practical component of student teacher education, specifically the practicum experience, in the curriculum. Opportunities for interaction and collaboration among trainees, mentors and teacher educators should also be provided to enhance the effectiveness of the practicum. Furthermore, to address the concerns of EFL student, novice and experienced teachers about losing their enthusiasm for teaching in the future, comprehensive support mechanisms should be put in place through in‐service training and counselling services. Lastly, the Ministry of National Education could establish online and in‐person platforms to facilitate interaction and collaboration among teachers.

Professional identity has been perpetually an underlying factor in teacher development. The maintenance of a strong professional identity is a key factor in teacher development which is ultimately a fundamental aspect in the prosperity or failure of any educational system. As a dynamic phenomenon, teachers’ professional identity can be influenced by a variety of factors and particularly any type of educational reform. The present study with an explanatory mixed method design was used to investigate transitions in Iranian EFL teachers’ professional identity in the context of Fundamental Reform Document of Education (2012). For the quantitative phase of the study, a researcher-made questionnaire developed based on the four components of professional identity namely, self-image, self-esteem, job motivation and task perception proposed by Kelchtermans (1993) was distributed among 98 Iranian EFL teachers. Considering the ongoing nature of the professional identity, the questionnaire was assigned to the teachers during the pre-reform and post – reform era. In the qualitative phase, in order to capture a comprehensive picture of the salient factors of teachers’ professional identity and their underlying reasons, a set of semi-structured interviews with 7 volunteer teachers were conducted. The findings revealed that the introduction of the curriculum reform made no change in teachers’ professional identity in terms of self-esteem and task perception, but it slightly affected teachers’ self-image and job motivation. The findings also revealed a potential transition path in Iranian EFL teachers’ professional identity development. Finally, some implications for policy-makers and material developers and suggestions for future researchers were discussed.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.

The current study investigated the Iranian Teaching English as a Foreign language (TEFL) Ph.D. candidates’ (TPCs) professional identity development during the TEFL Ph.D. education program (TPEP). Applying a mixed-method design, the current study used two kinds of instruments: a four-point, Likert-scale, a researcher-made questionnaire on TPCs’ professional identity development, and the semi-structured interviews. First, the survey was mailed to 80 university instructors. Then, to yield an in-depth understanding of how TPCs develop their professional identity, TPCs with more than 10 years of intensive experience were asked to participate in the interview. Following the quantitative data analysis, the qualitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews were analyzed using descriptive qualitative content analysis techniques. The results indicated that the majority of the participants believed that TPEP caused them to gain social legitimation from their community of practice, to get socialized to their global community, and raised their social status; therefore, they believed that not only professional but also personal development took place. Furthermore, it developed their pedagogical knowledge; however, it created small changes in the likelihood of TPCs’ career advancement and led to a small increase in their job satisfaction and security. The findings of the study can have some pedagogical implications for teacher education programs in that they can be used to emphasize their strengths, eliminate their weaknesses, and incorporate ample opportunities for TPCs’ reflection on their current and aspiring professional identities and improve their performance in classes.

An experience-based learning (ExBL) model proposes: Medical students learn in workplaces by ‘supported participation’; affects are an important dimension of support; many learning outcomes are affective; supported participation influences students’ professional identity development. The purpose of the study was to check how the model, which is the product of a series of earlier research studies, aligned with students’ experiences, akin to the ‘member checking’ stage of a qualitative research project. In three group discussions, a researcher explained ExBL to 19 junior clinical students, who discussed how it corresponded with their experiences of clinical learning and were given a written précis of it to take away. One to 3 weeks later, they wrote 500-word reflective pieces relating to their subsequent experiences with ExBL. Four researchers conducted a qualitative analysis. Having found many instances of responses ‘resonating’ to the model, the authors systematically identified and coded respondents’ ‘resonances’ to define how they aligned with their experiences. 120 resonances were identified. Seventy (58 %) were positive experiences and 50 (42 %) negative ones. Salient experiences were triggered by the learning environment in 115 instances (96 %) and by learners themselves in 5 instances (4 %), consistent with a strong effect of environment on learning processes. Affective support was apparent in 129 of 203 statements (64 %) of resonances and 118 learning outcomes (58 %) were also affective. ExBL aligns with medical students’ experiences of clinical learning. Subject to further research, these findings suggest ExBL could be used to support the preparation of faculty and students for workplace learning.