Docs of the Roundtable: the use of Medical School Process Groups to Foster Healthy Professional Identity Formation

Medical education should attend to student professional identity formation, the transformative process when a student incorporates the values and ideals of the profession of medicine into their own identity. A mentor-led, group reflection program was created to support medical students on their clerkships and encourage building of intentional professional identities, with the aim of sparking an ongoing practice of shared reflection and increased resilience.

Medical students participated in clerkship process groups (CPGs) during their 3rd and 4th year. Surveys were created and distributed to all students who participated. For the initial cohort, focus groups were utilized to gain further understanding.

Analysis of the qualitative data from surveys and focus groups revealed four key theme areas that were impactful regarding CPGs: development, connection, safety, and structure. Development reflects physician identity formation and professional development. Connection encompasses reconnecting with peers and caring mentors, decreasing isolation, and recognizing generalizability of experience. Safety refers to the maintenance of trust and confidentiality within the group. Structure represents logistics such as the size and timing of the sessions.

Medical schools should adopt curricula to address professional identity formation (PIF) which (1) meet the goals of intentional physician identity development, (2) are logistically feasible for the institution, and (3) avoid adding to student stress. Clerkship process groups meet these goals. This study demonstrates they are also viewed as valuable by students, increase connection, spark reflective practices, and foster PIF. As institutions work to implement pedagogical approaches to address PIF, this study demonstrates a valuable and effective approach.