Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 26, 2025

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
Mechanisms involved in the formation of professional identity by medical students
Gila Yakov1,2, Arieh Riskin1,3, Anath A Flugelman1,4
1Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Background:
Despite in-depth discussions regarding professional identity of doctors, there is still a gap in our understanding of how this professional identity actually evolves.
Objective:
To outline some major mechanisms involved in formation of medical students' professional identity.
Methods:
A qualitative study based on thematic analysis. 296 diary entries, written by eight medical students as part of the three-year course 'Becoming a Physician,' were reviewed. The course, conducted in small groups, gradually exposes students to the clinical field, and emphasizes awareness to marginalized populations, and interpersonal communication skills.
Results:
Following the social constructivist learning theory, where learners individually and socially construct meaning attributed to their experiences, we identified three major mechanisms based on students' written reflections. These include linking current experiences to past; comparing different types or aspects of knowledge, doctors or medicine; and future perspective taking.
Conclusions:
This study sheds light on the possible mechanisms used by medical students in forming their professional identity prior to their clinical training. Knowing these mechanisms can help medical educators better understand and support their students in formation of their professional identities. Conducting reflective writing could serve as an effective tool for learners to comprehend the meanings of their experiences.
More Related Videos
07:32Use of Galvanic Skin Responses, Salivary Biomarkers, and Self-reports to Assess Undergraduate Student Performance During a Laboratory Exam Activity
Published on: February 10, 2016
11:13The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Role-Based Identity
Marcia's Theory of Identity Status
Social Identity
Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
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....
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture