A Qualitative Evaluation of a Longitudinally Integrated Professionalism Curriculum in the Surgery Clerkship

Professionalism remains a critical yet challenging component of medical education, particularly during the clinical years. Although accreditation standards mandate its instruction, the integration of professionalism into the clerkship experience often lacks consistency and clarity. This study examines the design, implementation, and impact of a structured professionalism curriculum introduced during the surgery clerkship at a college of medicine.

An exploratory qualitative case study was conducted using postsession survey data collected from three clerkship cohorts between March and October 2022.

The curriculum focused on four key domains: communication, wellness, health equity, and career exploration. An exploratory qualitative case study was conducted using postsession survey data collected from three clerkship cohorts between March and October 2022.

A total of 217 student comments were analyzed across sessions addressing professionalism, resilience/wellness, structural competency, and career development.

Thematic analysis was performed by a multidisciplinary team using iterative coding and consensus- building to identify prevailing themes in student feed- back. Students consistently valued the curriculum's focus on wellness and career exploration, reporting increased awareness of academic medicine pathways and mindfulness-based coping strategies. However, areas such as structural competency and communication elicited more mixed feedback, revealing a need for enhanced experiential learning, case-based discussion, and longitudinal mentorship.

These findings support the value of a longitudinal, experiential professionalism curriculum during clinical training. Aligning content with real-world clinical practice may strengthen engagement and application, better preparing students for the complexities of professional identity formation in medicine.