How Polish medical students are socialised to cooperate with the pharmaceutical industry: a focus group study of the importance of informal, hidden and null curricula

ABSTRACT

This study analysed how Polish medical students are socialised to cooperate with the pharmaceutical industry via informal, hidden, and null curricula. Nine focus groups were run with medical students in their second year and upwards at three Polish medical universities. Initially, most students had difficulty in discerning pharmaceutical companies’ presence in their education, but on reflection they all recognised this presence. Students said that they were surrounded by small medical gifts provided by companies, met pharmaceutical representatives, and took part in events for physicians organised and/or sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry. Nevertheless, they did not think they were the main target of the industry’s marketing activities, saying that these were largely aimed at practicing doctors, and that they were only targeted as opportunities arose. Students’ statements make it clear that their socialisation takes place within a culture which consents to medical professionals’ cooperation with the industry. Medical students come to perceive cooperation with the industry as natural, and benefits from the industry as a privilege of doctors. Medical schools can prevent this by introducing guidelines, conflict of interest polices, and changing the formal curriculum, but the need for such measures is not currently recognised in Poland.

KEYWORDS:

• Socialisation
• hidden curricula medical students
• focus groups
• pharmaceutical industry
• Poland

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The study received financial support in the form of a grant from the Polish National Science Centre [Narodowe Centrum Nauki] no. 2018/02/X/HS6/02645.