Growing Professionals: Exploring the Impact of a Professional Identity Formation Curriculum in Medical School

A growing body of literature seeks to understand how best to support students in their Professional Identity Formation (PIF) during medical school. Recent work has suggested the need for a longitudinal approach that supports development of and recognizes variation in professional identity (PI) reflecting individual differences in perspectives and goals. We sought to evaluate a longitudinal, formal PIF curriculum at our medical school through a qualitative analysis of learner perspectives.

We invited third- and fourth-year medical students likely to have strong opinions on the PIF curriculum to participate in semi-structured interviews, aiming to capture diverse opinions and outliers to better understand its impact. Twenty students were invited to participate, and 15 students consented to participate. We took an inductive thematic approach to data analysis. The first three transcripts were read by coders before the coding process began. Readers then reread the transcripts and independently generated initial codes and then met to develop a consensus on codes and coding framework. The agreed-upon framework was then used to code the subsequent transcripts.

Our student interviews revealed a range of perspectives on the PIF curriculum as well as their PI. Five major themes within the data were identified, reflecting the developmental process of identity formation, the challenges and tensions that inform that development, and the impact of the curriculum on the learners' identity development. These themes are 1) deciphering the curriculum and curricular concepts, 2) grappling with the concept of PIF, 3) actively crafting an identity, 4) challenges to engaging with PIF curriculum, and 5) strengthening the curriculum.

The development of a PI in budding physicians is complex, and students appreciate the ability to explicitly reflect on and shape their identity, while receiving support and feedback about the process from educators. A formal PIF curriculum that supports students in actively creating their PI provides them with a better understanding of the challenges involved and the scaffolding needed to develop a mature PI that aligns with both professional and personal values.