Facilitating the initiation of the physician's professional identity: Cornell's urban semester program.

TitleFacilitating the initiation of the physician's professional identity: Cornell's urban semester program.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2014
AuthorsGoldstein PA, Storey-Johnson C, Beck S
JournalPerspect Med Educ
Volume3
Issue6
Pagination492-9
Date Published2014 Dec
ISSN2212-2761
Abstract

Calling for major reform in medical education, the Carnegie Institute report 'Educating Physicians' espoused the importance of assisting student trainees in forming their professional identities. Here, we consider the question: At what educational stage should future physicians begin this process? The literature suggests that the process begins when students matriculate in medical school; we posit, however, that premedical students can begin their proto-professional development as college undergraduates. We describe here the pedagogy of Cornell University's urban semester program (USP), which enables college students to participate in shadowing experiences as part of an integrated structured study programme. USP students report improved communicative competency, changes in their perceptions and attitudes toward medical practice, and powerful influences on their personal and professional development upon completion of the programme. We suggest the solution to the question of 'When and under what conditions should shadowing take place?' is to utilize a structure that combines the exposure of college students to the professional environment with a didactic and self-reflective curriculum, thereby supporting students in their early professional development. We conclude that educational efforts aimed at developing professional identity and behaviour can begin before students enter medical school.

DOI10.1007/s40037-014-0151-y
Alternate JournalPerspect Med Educ
PubMed ID25395231
PubMed Central IDPMC4263797