Understanding social influence in medical education

Many aspects of the medical education system lead trainees to a host of maladaptive reactions and behaviors, but far too little attention has been focused on the impact that interactions between teacher and learner can have on the development of professionalism. The authors discuss the concept of "social influence," a change of attitude, belief, or behavior resulting from the actions of another person in the context of the medical education setting. Using the example of a medical student who has not adequately completed his inpatient medicine requirements, they identify ten strategies of social influence that a medical educator might invoke to change the student's behavior and evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of these strategies. This overview can be used by faculty to explore new strategies of teaching and to reflect on their current teaching styles.