An evidence-informed pedagogical approach to support professional identity formation in medical students: AMEE Guide No. 171.

There is a long and impressive scholarly history evidencing why it is important to address professional identity formation (PIF) in medical curricula. In this AMEE Guide, the authors present an evidence-informed pedagogical approach to assist educators in developing educational practices to foster a healthy PIF in medical students. The authors first describe the theoretical framework that underpin this approach. At the core of this framework is the recognition that, for a healthy PIF, students need to become aware that they have the autonomy, but also responsibility, to form their professional identity in a way that fits both their personality and their (future) professional role. In other words, students need to learn to navigate the interplay between socialization and subjectification. Next, the authors outline the six-step structure of their pedagogical approach, designed to help students: (1) undergo a PIF-related experience, (2) observe their responses to the experience, (3) externalize their reflections, (4) share their reflections, (5) broaden their perspective, and (6) explore their freedom of choice through experimentation. The authors also describe six conducive conditions to facilitate the implementation of the pedagogical approach. These conditions include (1) creating a setting that enables students to slow down, (2) adopting a longitudinal approach, (3) making it part of the formal curriculum, (4) refraining from grading, (5) establishing an interdisciplinary expert team, and (6) providing teacher training. The authors conclude that the theoretical framework leads to a coherent and consistent pedagogical approach that, when implemented according to the conducive conditions, enables students to gradually internalize the reflective process and help them to cultivate a reflective attitude towards their PIF.

Providing emergency remote teaching: What are teachers' needs and what could have helped them to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic?

When schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, teachers suddenly had to teach remotely. To better understand the possible impact of these measures on teachers' work functioning and well-being, this study examined teachers' needs. Using a thematic analysis approach analyzing the 1,115 open-ended answers, three domains related to needs were identified: work-life balance and working from home, teaching and interaction with students and parents, and school management and colleagues. Findings are interpreted from existing frameworks (i.e., Jobs Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and Self-Determination Theory (SDT)). We also identified several unique needs, such as adjusting learning goals.

Candid insights and overlooked facets: what medical students write about patient-centeredness in diaries on longitudinal patient contacts.

Despite students' exposure to patient-centered care principles, their dedication to patient-centeredness often experiences a wane throughout their academic journey. The process of learning patient-centeredness is complex and not yet fully understood. Therefore, in our study, we sought to explore what aspects of patient-centeredness students spontaneously document in their diaries during interactions with actual patients. This investigation will help to identify gaps in the current educational practices and better prepare future clinicians to deliver patient-centered healthcare. We analyzed 92 diaries of 28 third-year undergraduate medical students at UMC Utrecht in the Netherlands who participated in an educational intervention, following four patients each as companions over a two-year period early in their clerkships. We conducted thematic analysis, using inductive and deductive coding, within a social-constructionist paradigm. We identified four key themes: communication, the person behind the patient, collaboration and organization in healthcare, and students' professional development. Within these themes, we observed that students spontaneously documented 9 of 15 dimensions of patient-centeredness as outlined in the model of Scholl : 'clinician-patient communication', 'patient as unique person', 'biopsychological perspective', 'essential characteristics of the clinician', 'clinician-patient relationship', 'involvement of family and friends', 'patient-information', 'emotional support' and 'coordination and continuity of care' (mainly principles of patient-centeredness). Conversely, we noted that students underreported six other dimensions (enablers and activities): 'access to care', 'integration of medical and non-medical care', 'teamwork and teambuilding', 'patient involvement in care', 'patient empowerment' and 'physical support'. Throughout their longitudinal journey of following patients as non-medical companions, students spontaneously documented some aspects of patient-centeredness in their diaries. Additionally, students reflected on their own professional development. Our findings suggest that incorporating education on the broadness of the concept of patient-centeredness coupled with enhanced guidance, could potentially enable students to learn about the complete spectrum of patient-centeredness within their medical education.