Personalised Pathways (PP) in the Medical Curriculum: How Does It Influence Students?

In 2020, the Sydney Medical School introduced the 'Personalised Pathways' (PP) program in Year 2 of the medical curriculum. The PP aimed to provide students with access to specific specialty areas and an opportunity to individualise their educational experience at an early stage. The role this program plays in student career preference is not well understood. We sought to explore students' engagement and experience of the placement and gain an understanding of how it may influence their views of specialities, the role of the consultant and career intentions.

In 2023, 220 PP placements were offered to Year 2 students (n = 254) across six teaching hospitals as an optional activity. In total, 122/254 (48%) students applied for a PP; of these, 103/122 (84%) gained a placement. Students attended an individualised PP for 4 h each week across 12 weeks.

Qualitative data were collected by survey, reflecting on students' perception of the placement, the role of the consultant and potential influence on career choice. Data were coded and categorised into themes. In total, 24/103 (23%) students responded to the survey, reporting an increased awareness of specialty career pathways, lifelong learning requirements and work-life balance. The PP also provided insight into the breadth of the consultants' leadership role and teaching responsibilities.

Implementation of the personalised pathway provided valuable opportunities that students appreciated being afforded early on. Notably, it gave some students a reason to rethink their career choice, while others found the experience reinforced their initial plans regarding career pathway intentions.