Abstract
The formation of a physician's professional identity and conception
of
him/herself as a doctor is often taken for granted and considered a
by-product of learning. During professional socialization, medical
students internalize knowledge, skills, attitudes, behavioral models as
well as ethical and moral values of medicine. However, certain critical
experiences may trigger an active construction of professional identity.
The aim of this research was to explore the process of constructing
professional identity during medical education in the framework of
cultural-historical activity theory. Multiple methods (questionnaires,
videotapes of medical students' reflection group sessions, and interviews
of the supervisors) were used in data collection and analysis.
Medical students were found to have differing orientations towards
learning and practising medicine. Some of the students, more commonly
females, expressed a need for more support for their professional
development. Reflection groups offered medical students a possibility to
share their experiences of critical situations. The topics of discussion
dealt with career choice, medical education (teaching, patient encounters,
communication), working experiences and career opportunities. Medical
students' narratives of their experiences in university hospital learning
situations revealed the way in which various interaction situations laid
the basis for the development of professional identity. In constructing a
physician's professional identity, medical students had to solve dilemmas
encountered in three different activity systems: Personal life, Medical
education and Work.
Encountering critical situations is part of the daily practice in
medical
schools. These situations may induce reflection on action and conscious
development of professional identity. Medical students should be provided
with more possibilities to elaborate on especially dilemmas concerning
professionalism, communication skills, encountering death, and biomedical
versus psychosocial aspects of medicine during their medical education.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:oulo.fi/oai:oulu.fi:isbn951-42-6521-1 |
| Date | 16 October 2001 |
| Creators | Ryynänen, K. (Katja) |
| Publisher | University of Oulu |
| Source Sets | University of Oulu |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess, © University of Oulu, 2001 |
| Relation | info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/0355-3221, info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/eissn/1796-2234 |
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