Learning Between the Lines: Anaesthetists' Conceptions of the Implicit Curriculum in Postgraduate Education

Competency-based and data-driven frameworks increasingly shape postgraduate anaesthesia training, yet much of professional learning occurs through unspoken cultural and relational influences-the implicit curriculum. This study examines how anaesthetists perceive and navigate these tacit aspects of learning.

We conducted a phenomenographic analysis of 29 semi-structured interviews with anaesthetists from teaching hospitals in Sweden and England. Participants represented diverse training stages and educational backgrounds. Through iterative comparison and interpretation, we identified qualitatively different ways anaesthetists conceptualised learning within the social and emotional contexts of clinical work.

Three conceptions were identified: Orientation toward the explicit curriculum, where learning is framed by formal structures and supervision; Awareness of the implicit curriculum, where unstructured and relational learning become visible; and Engagement with the implicit curriculum, where anaesthetists actively integrate unspoken norms, values, and emotions into professional practice. Variation across five dimensions-communication, collaboration, decision-making, autonomy, and emotional intelligence-illuminated how awareness of the implicit curriculum underpins professional growth.

The implicit curriculum emerges as a lived, relational dimension of anaesthesia training rather than a hidden layer of influence. Recognising these distinct ways of understanding offers educators a framework to make tacit learning visible, foster reflective dialogue, and support the development of adaptive, self-aware professional identities across postgraduate medical training.