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How we see ourselves: a resident's reflection on the class play
1Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Dr, Box 92, New York, NY, 10032, USA, rbd2116@columbia.edu.
The Journal of Medical Humanities
|January 21, 2014
Summary
The annual class play in medical education offers insights into institutional values and culture. Analyzing this tradition helps residents reflect on professional development and understand the hidden curriculum.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Sociology of Medicine
Background:
- The "class play" is a common tradition in medical residency programs.
- These plays serve as locally generated narratives reflecting institutional culture and values.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the class play as a tool for understanding institutional dynamics.
- To examine how class plays contribute to residents' reflection on professional development.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of class play narratives.
- Reflexive examination of the role of class plays in residency training.
Main Results:
- Class plays reveal significant institutional values, culture, and group dynamics.
- Engaging with class plays facilitates a deeper understanding of professional identity and development.
Conclusions:
- The class play is a valuable, yet often overlooked, component of medical education.
- Analyzing class plays provides a unique opportunity to understand and address aspects of the "hidden curriculum" in medicine.
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