Medical students’ professional identity development from being actors in an objective structured teaching exercise

Abstract

Introduction: Medical students develop professional identity through structured activities and impromptu interactions in various settings. We explored if contributing to an Objective Structured Teaching Exercise (OSTE) influenced students’ professional identity development.

Methods: University clinical faculty members participated in a faculty development program on clinical supervision. Medical students who participated in OSTEs as simulated residents were interviewed in focus groups about what they learnt from the experience and how the experience influenced their vision of learning and teaching. Transcripts were analyzed using the Goldie’s personality and social structure perspective model.

Results: Twenty-five medical students out of 32 students involved in OSTEs participated. On an institutional level, students developed a feeling of belonging to the institution. At an interactional level, students realized they could influence the teaching interaction by actively seeking or giving feedback. On the personal level, students realized that errors could become sources of learning and felt better prepared to receive faculty feedback.

Conclusion: Taking part in OSTEs as a simulated resident has a positive impact on students’ vision regarding the institution as a learning environment and their own role by actively seeking or giving feedback. OSTEs support their professional identity development regarding learning and teaching while sustaining faculty development.

Acknowledgements

We thank the students who took part in the study.

Disclosure statement

We thank “La Fondation privée des HUG”, Geneva, Switzerland, for supporting this project.

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Glossary

The Objective Structured Teaching Encounter (OSTE): Initially described in 1992, is modeled on the Objective Structured Clinical Encounter (OSCE), and assesses teaching performance in the same way that an OSCE measures clinical competence (Simpson et al. 1992). A standardized learner, analogous to the standardized patient in the OSCE, performs a scripted role within a common teaching scenario. The teacher interacts with and teaches the standardized learner and then receives feedback on his/her teaching from the standardized learner. A faculty member or trained observer may also observe the session and provide additional feedback or an assessment of competence.

Simpson DE, Lawrence SL, Krogull SR. 1992. Using standardized ambulatory teaching situations for faculty development. Teach and Learn Med. 4:58–61.

Trowbridge RL, Snydman LKl, Skolfield J, Hafler J, Bing-You RG. 2011. A systematic review of the use and effectiveness of the Objective Structured Teaching Encounter. Medical Teacher. 33:893–903.

Professional identity in medicine: Is defined as “a representation of self, achieved in stages over time during which the characteristics, values, and norms of the medical profession are internalized, resulting in an individual thinking, acting, and feeling like a physician.

Cruess RL, Cruess SR, Boudreau JD, Snell L, Steinert Y. 2014. Reframing medical education to support professional identity formation. Academic medicine: journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges. 89(11):1446–1451.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jehanne De Grasset

Mme J. de Grasset, Research assistant in the Institute of Primary Care, Geneva University Hospitals Switzerland.

Marie-Claude Audetat

Prof. Marie-Claude. Audétat, PhD, Unit of Primary Care and Unit of Development and Research in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Nadia Bajwa

Dre Nadia Bajwa, MD, MHPE, Pediatric Residency Program Director at the University of Geneva Children’s Hospital and a faculty member of the Unit of Development and Research in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Nicole Jastrow

Dre Nicole Jastrow, MD, Head of the Obstetrical Unit, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland.

Hélène Richard-Lepouriel

Dre Hélène Richard-Lepouriel, Psychiatrist and Head of the Mood Disorders Unit, Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland.

Mathieu Nendaz

Prof. Mathieu Nendaz, MD, MHPE, Faculty member in the General Internal Medicine Service, Geneva University Hospitals, and Director of the Unit of Development and Research in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Noelle Junod Perron

Dre Noelle Junod Perron, MD, PhD, Coordinator of the Institute of Primary Care at the Geneva University Hospitals, a faculty member at the Unit of Development and Research in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland.