Professional identity formation in disorienting times

Abstract

role in providing care, the effectiveness and limitations of medical care, and personal vulnerability to infection and asymptomatic disease spread. These challenges can shape medical students' professional identity formation (PIF), defined as how learners come to 'think, act, and feel like a physician.' 1 Medical students develop their identities as emerging professionals through training, and a crisis such as a pandemic alters, impedes or accelerates this process. A crisis catalyses transformative learning by serving as a disorienting dilemma, and educators can harness this opportunity for growth. | WHAT WA S TRIED?A longitudinal integrated PIF curriculum drawing on the work of Cruess et al. 1 is included in the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine curriculum. The regular 4-year curriculum contains eight separate interspersed weeks of 'Assessment, Reflection, Coaching, and Health' (ARCH). These full-time learning experiences highlight factors that influence socialisation into medicine -the crux of PIF. With the health system and clinical learning environment rapidly changing in response to COVID-19, classroom curricula transitioning to online platforms,and increased isolation due to social distancing, we revamped PIF content to address these disruptions.

Exploring Medical Students’ Professional Identity Formation through Written Reflections during the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…For example, a medical school in the US has reported the need to adjust curriculum components of PIF to support students’ learning needs during this crisis, because students simultaneously feel uncertain about their roles and eager to contribute and also may be experiencing feelings of isolation, helplessness, and fear. 18 …”

Preparation of students and residents of human medicine in the first four months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Implications for a second wave.

“…Some echoing safety concerns [32] while others consider clinically deployed students as a major help for frontline workers to focus on the fight of the pandemic and therefore ensuring surge capacity [33]. Additionally, some educators see a critical chance for the Professional Identity Formation (PIF) of students in the pandemic including altruism, service in times of crisis and solidarity with their profession [34,35]. Residents from non-frontline specialties, were often given the option to work, train or research from home or to apply on a voluntary basis for redeployment [29,36].…”

“…Social support seems to reduce levels of anxiety [42] and staying connected in times of social distancing deems important [44]. Furthermore, the social aspect of discussion with peers can also reduce anxiety and stress [35]. Here, early countermeasures included residents having a daily informal video conference to have a social connection to peers while practicing social distancing [16].…”

“…(Self-)support and supply Many articles reflected the willingness from students and residents to help [23,30,35,43,52,73]. In terms of tangible actions supporting their peers, 6.1% (n=5) of articles solely, and four articles partly, covered this topic.…”

Medical students in Indonesia: an invaluable living gemstone during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

“…A study has also found that medical volunteerism in global health may improve leadership skills and interprofessional teamwork developments [13]. It is also recommended for current medical curriculum to provide rooms for such learning processes that discuss students' current roles during pandemic, ethical reasoning of most appropriate venues to volunteer considering patient and student safety and their competencies, and well-being issues [14]. This is in line with professionalism development which addresses reliability, adherence to ethical principles, effective interactions with patients and their family, effective interaction within the healthcare system, and a commitment to improving the competence of oneself, other and the healthcare system [15].…”