Medical student motivation in specialised contexts

During their clinical years, medical students rotate in diverse environments, each with unique factors motivating or demotivating learning. Student motivation to learn in specialised clinical settings has not been robustly described. One framework to understand motivation to learn is self-determination theory (SDT), which posits that intrinsic motivation requires fulfilment of three innate psychological needs: competence, relatedness and autonomy. Referencing SDT, the authors aimed to understand factors influencing student motivation to learn in the specialised context of internal medicine (IM) subspecialty consult services, with the goal of optimising teaching and learning during these experiences.

Focus groups were conducted with 12 fourth-year medical students who had completed at least one inpatient IM subspecialty consult elective at the University of California, San Francisco, in 2020-2021. Students discussed factors that promoted and hindered their learning and motivation. The authors performed abductive thematic analysis using SDT as a sensitising framework.

Three themes were identified and provided insight into how student motivation to learn can be supported: teaching at the appropriate level; integration into the team and workflow; and self-directed learning and career exploration. These themes were overlaid onto the needs of SDT, demonstrating that, in specialised clinical contexts, fulfilment of the needs is interconnected.

This study provided insight into how students' innate needs can be satisfied in the learning environment of IM subspecialty consult electives, thereby promoting students' intrinsic motivation. Based on insights from the study, the authors offer recommendations for how educators can optimise student motivation to learn.