Fairy Tales We Teach Without Telling: Transformative Learning and the Hidden Curriculum in Medical Education

This narrative employs a fairy tale framework to examine transformative learning in medical education. Set in a fictional Academy, a learner initially excels at memorizing protocols and passing examinations, but subsequently encounters mythical patients and the whispering walls of the Hall of Reference. These encounters reveal the hidden curriculum, including unspoken norms, assumptions, and hierarchies that influence understanding and practice. As the learner transitions into a teacher role, they exemplify reflection, critical inquiry, and gradual transformation within the Academy. Inspired by this approach, students begin to question established standards, annotate texts, and develop inclusive guidelines, thereby illustrating the collective and iterative processes inherent in transformative learning. The fairy tale framework illustrates the shifts in perspective central to transformative learning. It invites reflection on the ethical, relational, and interpretive dimensions of knowledge. Through this narrative, the story demonstrates that in medical education, knowledge is not neutral, and transformation emerges when learners and educators engage critically with both explicit curriculum content and implicit, often hidden aspects of the curriculum in medical education.