Internationalization of Medical Education: Professional Identity Formation in Healthcare Students Through an...

The International Collaboration and Exchange Program (ICEP) and other similar exchange programs can play a crucial role in preparing future health profession students to become global healthcare leaders through virtual exchanges and in-person academic immersion travels (AIT). Recognizing the need to enhance interpersonal skills, the traditional classroom style of teaching may require reassessment. Our study aims to explore ICEP's impact on participants, specifically their professional identity (PI) levels, to shed light on the effects of virtual and hybrid exchange programs.

Health profession students from 20 universities across four continents (n = 302) who participated in the ICEP program in 2022-2023 responded to an online, validated Professional Self Identity Questionnaire (PSIQ) both at the program's initiation and upon its conclusion to assess their self-perceived levels of PI. Statistical analysis was performed using RStudio Version 2023.3.0.386 (2023).

Analyzing the group of students before (PI = 3.63 (1.52)) and after (PI = 3.97 (1.48)) completing two semesters of virtual exchanges within ICEP revealed that students exhibited higher senses of PI upon the program's completion (p < 0.001). Additionally, the group of students that participated in the 1-week AIT (PI = 4.19 (1.57)) was also found to have a heightened sense of PI compared to students who did not (PI = 3.88 (1.43)) (p < 0.05).

Through the exchanges facilitated by ICEP, students had the opportunity to reinforce their sense of PI. Such exchange programs warrant further exploration for their potential to innovatively integrate professional skills development into health profession education-a valuable aspect in shaping a well-rounded provider.