Reflective capacity and context of reflections: qualitative study of second-year medical students' learning diaries related to a general practice course.

BACKGROUND: Reflective capacity is a prerequisite for transformative learning. It is regarded as an essential skill in professional competence in the field of medicine. Our aim was to investigate the reflective capacity and the objects of action (themes) which revealed reflective writing of medical students during a general practice/family medicine course. METHODS: Second-year medical students were requested to write learning diaries during a compulsory course in general practice/family medicine consisting of the principles of the physician-patient relationship. The course included a group session supervised by a clinical lecturer and a 3-day training period in a local health centre. We conducted data-driven content analysis of the learning diaries. In the learning diaries, student observations were most commonly directed to events during the training period and to group sessions. Occasionally, observation was directed at inner experience. RESULTS: The following themes were related to reflective writing: feelings towards the end of life, demanding situations in practice, physician's attitude to patient, student's inner experiences, and physician's well-being. The entries indicated different types of reflective capacity. Three subgroups were identified: 'simple reporting,' 'reflective writing,' and 'advanced reflective writing.' CONCLUSION: Professional growth requires the development of reflective capacity, as it is essential for successful patient care and better clinical outcomes. To develop and enhance the reflective capacity of medical students during their education, the curriculum should provide frequent opportunities for students to assess and reflect upon their various learning experiences.

Measures of empathy and the capacity for self-reflection in dental and medical students.

BACKGROUND: Empathy and self-reflection have been studied among medical students, but fewer studies have examined the presence of these attributes among dental students and investigated the correlation between empathy and self-reflection. METHODS: First-year dental and medical students (n = 198) beginning their studies at the University of Oulu, Finland in August 2017 participated in this study, which was conducted via an internet-based questionnaire. Data were collected on personal characteristics and scores on Davis's Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and Roberts's Self Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS). RESULTS: Differences in IRI scores between dental and medical students were significant only in male students and in two IRI domains. Mean (SD) scores for male dental and medical students were personal distress, 8.2 (4.0) and 10.7 (3.1) (p = 0.022); empathic concern, 15.0 (4.0) and 16.9 (3.5) (p = 0.054). Mean SRIS scores did not differ between sexes or training programs. Positive correlations (r = - 0.3-0.65) were observed between some empathy and self-reflection subscales. CONCLUSIONS: A lower degree of empathy was observed among male dental students than in male medical students. A positive correlation between empathy and self-reflection was demonstrated in both study groups and sexes. However, more research in this field is warranted.