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Project-Based Learning Guidelines for Health Sciences Students: An Analysis with Data Mining and Qualitative Techniques
Published on: December 9, 2022
Personal growth in medical faculty: a qualitative study
D E Kern1, S M Wright, J A Carrese
1Division of General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 4940 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224-2780, USA. kernde@jhmi.edu
The Western Journal of Medicine
|August 3, 2001
Summary
Physician personal growth is fostered by powerful experiences, supportive relationships, and introspection. These factors lead to positive changes in values, behaviors, and overall well-being.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Physician Development
- Adult Learning Theory
Background:
- Physician effectiveness relies on communication, technical skills, wisdom, compassion, and integrity.
- Attaining these attributes requires personal growth in self-awareness and emotional management.
- Empirical research on physician personal growth remains limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and understand personal growth experiences in a select group of medical faculty.
- To identify key processes and outcomes associated with physician personal growth.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative case study employing open-ended surveys to gather written descriptions of personal growth.
- Participants included facilitators and members of a personal growth interest group in the US and UK.
- Thematic analysis involved identifying, categorizing, and verifying themes from submitted narratives.
Main Results:
- Thirty-two of 64 subjects provided 42 stories detailing personal growth.
- Key growth-promoting processes identified were powerful experiences, helping relationships, and introspection.
- Outcomes included shifts in values/goals, healthier behaviors, improved social connections, enhanced self-perception, and increased productivity.
Conclusions:
- Powerful experiences, helping relationships, and introspection are crucial precursors to significant personal growth in physicians.
- Findings align with adult learning literature and suggest implications for medical education and practice.
- Further research is needed to confirm these findings in diverse physician populations.
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