Values Clarification as a Reflective Practice for Preclerkship Medical Students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Bioethics
• Professional Development

Background:

• Values clarification is crucial for medical professionals navigating ethical dilemmas.
• Preclerkship medical students require early exposure to values clarification to align personal beliefs with professional expectations.
• Anticipating and managing conflicts between personal values and professional obligations is essential for physician well-being and patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a values clarification workshop for preclerkship medical students.
• To help students anticipate and manage potential conflicts between personal values and professional expectations.
• To foster a deeper understanding of ethical challenges in healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• A preworkshop values clarification exercise was assigned.
• A 2-hour workshop included physician panels and faculty-facilitated small group discussions on healthcare scenarios.
• An optional postworkshop survey with qualitative and quantitative measures was administered.

Main Results:

• 79% of surveyed students agreed the workshop highlighted potential value-profession conflicts.
• 68% felt equipped to apply learnings to future scenarios.
• 79% reported improved understanding of colleagues' values.
• Key themes included the impact of physician panels and enhanced self-awareness regarding personal values.

Conclusions:

• The values clarification workshop effectively prepared preclerkship medical students for ethical challenges.
• The initiative uniquely addresses moral discomfort broadly, rather than focusing on specific healthcare areas.
• This represents a novel curricular intervention for early-stage medical education.