Reflective student narratives: honing professionalism and empathy

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Professionalism in Medicine
• Affective Domain Learning

Background:

• The affective domain is often neglected in medical curricula, potentially impacting patient interactions.
• Reflective narratives are proposed as a tool to foster humanitarianism and professional growth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze medical student reflective narratives for content related to the ABCDE paradigm (Attitude and Behaviour, Communication, Diversity and Disability, Empathy).
• To assess student engagement and perceived learning from narrative writing.

Main Methods:

• Volunteer medical students participated in a workshop on Gibbs' reflective cycle.
• Anonymous reflective narratives based on observed patient-doctor interactions were collected and analyzed using directed content analysis.
• Student feedback was gathered via questionnaire.

Main Results:

• 15 narratives were submitted by 26 volunteer students.
• 12 students provided feedback, strongly agreeing that narrative writing enhanced learning in ethics, professionalism, communication, diversity, and empathy.
• Identified issues within narratives were discussed with students.

Conclusions:

• Reflective narratives offer an effective and engaging method for teaching affective domain topics in medical education.
• This approach addresses areas not conventionally covered in traditional medical studies.