Medical identity; perspectives of students from two countries
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Open Access
Medical identity; perspectives of students from two countries Conor Gilligan1, Teresa Loda2,3* , Florian Junne2,3, Stephan Zipfel2,3, Brian Kelly1, Graeme Horton1 and Anne Herrmann-Werner2,3
Abstract Background: The development of professional identity is a fundamental element of medical education. There is evidence that in Germany, students’ perceptions of the ideal and real doctor differ, and that of themselves as physicians falls between these constructs. We sought to compare students’ perceptions of themselves, the ideal doctor, and the ‘real’ doctor and investigate differences from first to final year in the relationships between these constructs, as well as differences between Australian and German cohorts. Method: Students in the first and final years of their medical program at one Australian and one German university were invited to complete the Osgood and Hofstatter polarity profile, involving the description of their mental image of the ideal and real doctor, and the doctor they hope to become, with adjectives provided. Results: One hundred sixty-seven students completed the survey in Australia (121 year 1, 46 year 5) and 188 in Germany (164 year 1, 24 year 6). The perception of the ideal doctor was consistent across all respondents, but that of the real doctor and self-image differed between country and year. Differences existed between country cohorts in perceptions of ‘confidence’, ‘strength’, ‘capability’ and ‘security’. Conclusions: The pattern previously reported among German students was maintained, but a different pattern emerged among Australian students. Differences between countries could reflect cultural differences or variations in the overt and hidden curricula of medical schools. Some of the constructs within the profiles are amenable to educational interventions to improve students’ confidence and sense of capability. Keywords: Identity, Doctor, Medical students, Medical curriculum
Background For medical schools in many parts of the world, admissions processes aim to select students who are not only academically capable, but who possess important skills and values such as altruism, teamwork, and communication [1, 2]. While these attributes are regarded as important for entry into medical school, and thus the profession, there is evidence that students’ idealism [3, 4], ethical self-identity [5– 7] and their empathy and patient centred communication * Correspondence: [email protected] 2 Medical Department VI/Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tuebingen, Osianderstr. 5, D-72076 Tuebingen, Germany 3 School of Medicine, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
skills [8] decline over time. This leads to a questioning of how medical students perceive these attributes among their profession and how medical schools help to mould students’ professional identities. Medical students often enter the medical profession with aspirations about providing c
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