Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026
09:55
Bridging the Technology Divide in the COVID-19 Era: Using Virtual Outreach to Expose Middle and High School Students to Imaging Technology
Published on: September 28, 2022
Identity transformation in medical students.
Mitchell J M Cohen1, Abigail Kay, James M Youakim
1Thomas Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. mitchell.cohen@jefferson.edu
American Journal of Psychoanalysis
|March 20, 2009
Summary
Medical school significantly impacts personal development, potentially altering core identity due to intense academic and emotional pressures. Strong mentorship and self-reflection are key to navigating these challenges and mitigating negative outcomes for medical students.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Psychology
- Professional Development
Background:
- Medical school presents unique challenges to personal development and identity formation.
- Existing literature on this topic is limited, relying on self-reported data and personality assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the literature on the effects of medical school on students' personal development and identity.
- To identify factors that influence these changes and potential adverse outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies utilizing student journaling, discussion groups, surveys, and personality testing.
- Analysis of forces impacting medical students, including academic workload, emotional burdens, and cultural immersion.
Main Results:
- Medical students face high expectations, fear of inadequacy, academic pressure, and emotional distress from patient suffering and death.
- Potential negative consequences include developmental delays, substance abuse, cynicism, and loss of values.
- Protective factors include mentorship, peer support, critical thinking, and personal reflection.
Conclusions:
- Medical training profoundly affects personal development and identity, necessitating supportive environments and coping strategies.
- Mentorship, peer support, and self-reflection are crucial for mitigating adverse effects and fostering healthy adaptation in medical students.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Role-Based Identity
Role-based identities are central to understanding how individuals navigate social environments by adopting distinct self-conceptions aligned with various societal roles. These identities are not fixed traits but are constructed through personal actions and the social feedback individuals receive in context-specific interactions. Each social role, such as student, teacher, or friend, carries a set of expectations and norms that influence how people think, feel, and behave within that...
01:27Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Adolescents from ethnic minority backgrounds face a multifaceted journey in forming their identities, shaped by the intersections of cultural expectations and personal exploration. For these adolescents, identity formation involves not only typical developmental challenges but also navigating the perceptions and attitudes of the majority culture. As they grow, adolescents in ethnic minority groups often become increasingly aware of stereotypes, social biases, and discrimination, all of which...
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
01:23Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Adolescence is a pivotal period of identity formation, during which individuals begin to answer questions central to their sense of self, such as "Who am I?" and "Who do I hope to become?" Both parents and peers play critical roles in guiding adolescents through this complex developmental phase.
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
01:28Forced Transdifferentiation
Transdifferentiation, also known as lineage reprogramming, was first discovered by Selman and Kafatos in 1974 in silkmoths. They observed that the moths’ cuticle-producing cells transformed into salt-producing cells. Many such cases of natural transdifferentiation occur in organisms. In humans, pancreatic alpha cells can become beta cells. In newts, the loss of the eye’s lens causes the pigmented epithelial cells to transdifferentiate into the lens cells.
Artificial transdifferentiation occurs...
Artificial transdifferentiation occurs...
01:29Social Identity
Social identity constitutes a significant aspect of an individual’s self-concept, shaped by membership in various social groups, including gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and political affiliation. Individuals associate specific traits with particular social groups, leading to internalization of these traits. For example, musicians are often perceived as creative, while women are frequently associated with nurturing tendencies. Once individuals identify with a particular...