Wiley: Medical Education: Table of Contents

Uncertainty management as multiple goal regulation

Adam G. Gavarkovs — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:55:00 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

A field in motion: The parallel evolution of coaching in modern health professions education and elite sports

Rune D. Jensen, Kristoffer Henriksen, Sarah Williams — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:47:27 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Normalising vulnerability, humanising learning: A qualitative exploration of dissonance and growth in clinical learning environments

Javeed Sukhera, Tess M. Atkinson, Mario Fahed — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 20:45:11 -0700

Abstract

Introduction

Dissonance is common in clinical learning, especially when experiencing conflict with prior beliefs, expectations, or developing identities. Yet, an understanding of how teachers and learners move from dissonance to growth in emotionally charged, hierarchical clinical environments remains underexplored. In this study, the authors sought to explore how teachers and learners experience and navigate dissonance in the context of equity-related pedagogy.

Methods

This qualitative study employed Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT). Fifteen participants including medical students, residents, and faculty were recruited through purposive, theoretical, and snowball sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, which were analysed using constant comparative analysis to develop a theoretical framework.

Results

Participants described dissonance as a dynamic experience ranging from manageable discomfort to panic. Dissonant moments were especially intense when they involved hierarchy, surveillance, identity threat, ethical conflict, or perceived harm. In these conditions, learners often shifted toward self-protection and cognitive shutdown. Growth was more likely when educators normalised struggle, modelled vulnerability, and created structured opportunities for reflection. Participants also described trust and safety as reciprocally co-created: when teachers signalled curiosity and care, learners were more willing to disclose uncertainty and remain engaged, which in turn prompted further teacher investment.

Discussion

Findings reinforce that learners need supportive conditions to grow through dissonance. Such conditions include spaces where they can face challenges without fear of judgement or punishment. Findings suggest that creating such conditions remains difficult in medical education, where rigid hierarchies and institutional norms often erode psychological safety. This work extends prior research by showing how trust and safety are co-created in real time, with both learners and educators influencing and reinforcing each other's openness and vulnerability.

When I say … listening

Brian Tuohy — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 21:24:26 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Cracks and lights of assessment implementation in competency‐based medical education

Valdes Roberto Bollela, Ugo Caramori — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:59:15 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Locum doctor working: A qualitative exploration of the implications for learning and professional development

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Abstract

Background

In the English National Health Service, and other health care systems internationally, there have been growing numbers of doctors working on a short- or long-term temporary basis as ‘locums’. Social environments and professional relationships are fundamental to learning in clinical contexts; however, locums are often positioned at the periphery of the organisation and the clinical team. An examination of locum learning and continuing professional development is vital to understanding the implications of temporary working for the growing numbers of mobile doctors, often working at the margins of the medical workforce, and whose career trajectories may diverge from traditional models.

Methods

Qualitative interview and focus group data were collected from 130 participants, including 88 professionals and 42 patients, between March 2021 and April 2022 in primary and secondary health care organisations in the English NHS. Participants included locums, patients, permanently employed doctors, nurses and other health care professionals with governance and recruitment responsibilities for locums. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and abductive analysis.

Results

Four themes were developed from the data: (1) exclusion from formal and informal learning opportunities; (2) self-directed learning and workarounds; (3) decline in knowledge and clinical skills; (4) effects on the professional development of the wider team. Locums were frequently excluded from feedback and learning opportunities because they were considered expensive and not the responsibility of the organisation and there to work, not to train. This meant that professional development was often the responsibility of the locum, self-directed and divorced from context. Locums often did not take on educational supervision roles for the wider team, meaning wider learning and development were disrupted or paused.

Conclusion

To address the challenges locum working might bring for learning and professional development, professional bodies should provide guidance for locum doctors highlighting the risks associated with taking on locum work before medical knowledge and experience are established. To improve quality and safety, organisational leaders should include locums in developmental opportunities. Finally, policy makers need to strike a balance between using locums to address short-term workforce quotas and the long-term impact on the knowledge and development of the workforce and patient safety.

“It's okay to feel!”: How a music‐based pedagogical activity fosters medical students' emotional development

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Abstract

Background

Emotions are an intrinsic part of medicine. However, formal medical curricula fall short in addressing the role of emotions in medicine, and the hidden curriculum often promotes emotional detachment as a core component of medical professionalism. In this study, we addressed the following research question: what are the mechanisms through which a music-based pedagogy grounded in emotion regulation (EmtR) nurtures medical students' emotional development?

Method

In this cross-sectional, qualitative study, we performed a reflexive thematic analysis with an inductive approach grounded in the constructionist paradigm. The pedagogical activity comprehended four encounters, and music listening sessions were used to evoke emotions. The encounters were conceptualized to address emotion expression, identification, regulation and the impact of emotions in clinical care. We recruited 25 participants (21 students and 4 facilitators) from three Brazilian medical schools who took part in semi-structured interviews in 2020 and 2021.

Results

Our analysis resulted in four co-constructed themes explaining the mechanisms through which the music-based pedagogical activity nurtured students' emotional development: (a) Creating a safe and pleasant environment – music listening facilitated emotional expression in a safe, democratic and supportive environment; (b) Facilitating Emotional Connections – shared emotional experiences during collective music listening strengthened connections among students and facilitators, showing how the same experience may evoke different emotional responses; (c) Providing opportunities to engage with EmtR strategies – students reflected on the impact of emotions on their personal and professional development, experiencing and simulating different EmtR mechanisms; and (d) Naturalizing Emotions in Medicine – students reported that music facilitated reflection on the role of emotions in medicine and helped them integrate their emotional selves into their professional roles, valuing emotions as essential to being a doctor.

Conclusions

This study clarifies the mechanisms through which music-based pedagogical interventions can nurture medical students' emotional development, contributing to a broader understanding of how the arts may counteract the culture of emotional detachment in medicine.

Scaffolding during surgical procedures: Guidance with baby steps or giant leaps?

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Abstract

Introduction

Scaffolding refers to the dynamic support teachers provide to help learners complete tasks they cannot yet do independently. This is often done by breaking tasks into smaller, manageable steps and adjusting the support based on the learner's performance. In the operating room (OR), attending surgeons apply scaffolding to guide residents in performing tasks that they are not yet able to do on their own. However, the OR poses a unique challenge: attending surgeons must balance resident learning with patient safety, and procedures consist of multiple tasks for which the learner's expertise varies. Little is known about how surgeons determine and adjust the appropriate level of support during procedures. This study aims to explore how attending surgeons scaffold residents' learning throughout surgical procedures and the strategies they use to adjust their support on a moment-to-moment basis.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative analysis of 34 instances of step-by-step coaching from transcripts of 16 surgical procedures in which residents performed surgeries under the supervision of an attending surgeon. We used conversation analysis to examine scaffolding in the OR and identify the contexts in which it occurs.

Results

We found that attending surgeons break down procedures into small steps to guide residents. We identified four components that attendings use, which together form the basic grammar of intraoperative scaffolding. These components are: instructing the resident what the next step is, instructing the resident how to perform the next step, providing an explanation about the step and evaluating the performed step. We described scaffolding as baseline supervision and examined two contexts in which attendings reduce step size: when introducing a new technique and in response to suboptimal task performance.

Discussion

The findings highlight the underlying structure of scaffolding in the OR, with attending surgeons navigating when to intervene and when to allow greater autonomy. Understanding how attendings adjust their support can improve alignment with residents' learning needs and foster discussions about shared educational goals.

Reflecting on experiences of resident redeployment during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Implications for leadership and theory beyond the crisis

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Abstract

Introduction

This study explored medical residents' experiences of redeployment during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the benefit of time and reflection, this study went beyond an ‘educational deficit’ perspective on redeployment and examined these experiences to better understand enduring tensions in medical education, prepare leaders for ongoing tensions and future crises, and to inform professional identity formation theory.

Methods

This was a qualitative, interpretive study informed by professional identity formation concepts related to work-identity integrity threats. Between April and November 2023, 15 residents from seven specialties at a large urban university in Canada were interviewed about redeployment processes and experiences. An abductive analysis approach was used to examine how residents made meaning of their profession, specialty and workplace in light of these experiences.

Results

The meaning participants made of redeployment processes depended on their interpretations of fairness, alignments with their perceived identity as a physician, and sense of usefulness during redeployment experiences. While participants noted a lack of socialisation and connection within their specialty as potentially disruptive to professional identity formation, broader sociopolitical dynamics (e.g. anti-vaccine movements) and local microcontexts (e.g. appreciative clinical teams) mattered most in their reflections. Experiences of redeployment elicited reflections on historical relationships between specialties. Some of those reflections were specific to the pandemic context, while others prompted broader reconsiderations of trends towards hyperspecialisation within the profession.

Discussion

These results provide insight into how future crises might be best approached, but also how wellness and resilience might be supported in non-crisis situations. This analysis also suggests a potential unfreezing of long-standing interspecialty tensions. The endurance of these shifting dynamics is worth exploring, particularly in light of policy imperatives towards more flexible and responsive systems. Theoretically, this analysis invites considerations of professional identity formation to better account for broader sociopolitical dynamics and the local dynamics of workplaces.

How supervisors leverage stress to facilitate trainee learning in clinical settings: A six‐element model

Jimmy Beck, Kimberly O'Hara, Marieke van der Schaaf, Bridget C. O'Brien — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Abstract

Background

Excessive stress can hinder learning, whereas moderate stress may enhance it by boosting motivation, memory and cognitive processing. Rudland et al. proposed a theoretical stress-learning pathway in which supervisors play a central role in shaping how stress influences learning. While this pathway offers a valuable high-level framework, the specific ways supervisors enact this role in clinical settings remain underexplored. Our study addresses this gap by examining how supervisors leverage stress to enhance trainee learning in clinical settings.

Methods

In this constructivist grounded theory study, we interviewed supervisors (senior residents and attending physicians) whom paediatric residents identified as effectively leveraging stress to facilitate learning. We recorded and transcribed semi-structured interviews, which we analysed iteratively throughout the data collection period using constant comparative techniques. We created a model that extends Rudland et al.'s pathway by detailing specific ways that supervisors harness stress to facilitate learning.

Results

We interviewed 23 supervisors (10 senior paediatric residents and 13 attending physicians), all of whom conceptualised stress as a dynamic, individualised experience that can promote learning and prepare trainees for unsupervised practice. Supervisors both introduced stressors and modulated naturally occurring stressors (e.g. delivering difficult news or managing a decompensating patient) as they supported trainees in challenging situations. Attending physicians, more than senior residents, reported difficulty gauging trainee stress, citing power dynamics as a barrier. Our analysis produced a six-element model explaining how supervisors use stress to support learning: setting the stage, assessing baseline stress, introducing or modulating stressors, re-assessing, and debriefing.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest supervisors leverage stress to enhance learning in inpatient clinical environments but do so cautiously to ensure stress does not reach a level that impedes learning. Through a proactive approach, supervisors introduce and modulate stressors—thereby creating individualised learning experiences that they expect to prepare trainees for the demands of independent practice.

When I say … workforce sustainability

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Medical Education, Volume 60, Issue 5, Page 487-489, May 2026.

When I say … trust in AI

Levent Çetinkaya — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Medical Education, Volume 60, Issue 5, Page 490-491, May 2026.

Learning to navigate interprofessional boundaries in health care

Julia Paxino, Christy Noble, Walter Eppich — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Medical Education, Volume 60, Issue 5, Page 478-480, May 2026.

The social lottery of emotional development in medical training: Why relationships determine who develops emotional competence

Anique E. N. Atherley — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Medical Education, Volume 60, Issue 5, Page 481-483, May 2026.

The dynamics of dialogue: Social interaction, language and culture in intraoperative teaching and learning

Lucas Streith, Faizal A. Haji — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Medical Education, Volume 60, Issue 5, Page 484-486, May 2026.

Two minutes of laughter: Making humour visible

Nurfarahin Nasri, Khairul Azhar Jamaludin, Nurfaradilla Mohamad Nasri — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Medical Education, Volume 60, Issue 5, Page 571-571, May 2026.

TikTok™ in the lecture hall—Incorporating original and pre‐existing short‐form videos into medical education

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Medical Education, Volume 60, Issue 5, Page 574-575, May 2026.

Cultivating faculty developer identity in a resource‐limited context

Rhoda Meyer, Lynette Van der Merwe, Jacky van Wyk — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Medical Education, Volume 60, Issue 5, Page 572-573, May 2026.

Really good stuff: Advancing surgical skills and providing mentorship to surgery‐bound medical students during academic development time

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Medical Education, Volume 60, Issue 5, Page 569-570, May 2026.

History in clinical education: A report from a thoracic trauma skills night

Marcus Milani, Jordan Sauve, Michelle Roof, Sean Nguyen, James Harmon — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Medical Education, Volume 60, Issue 5, Page 576-577, May 2026.

Exploring health care access through the courts

Sarah C. Reckess — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Medical Education, Volume 60, Issue 5, Page 580-581, May 2026.

Introducing AI scribes to medical learners

Janelle Bludorn, Laura Okolie — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Medical Education, Volume 60, Issue 5, Page 578-579, May 2026.

Issue Information

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

No abstract is available for this article.

Role boundaries and complex health systems: Implications for medical education

Richard L. Cruess, Robert Sternszus — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Abstract

Health professions practice is becoming increasingly complex with a rapid growth in knowledge and technology, as well as increasing specialization and sub-specialization within and between health professions. This has resulted in a blurring of the lines of expertise and professional responsibility in health care delivery. In addition, instability in the funding and regulation of education, research and health care has resulted in frequent shifts in how health care is structured and practiced. These challenges raise the questions: what are the roles of physicians in shaping and delivering the future of health care? And how can medical education best prepare physicians to assume those roles? To answer these questions, the authors synthesize the literature on role boundaries and boundary work emanating from various disciplines, including sociology, anthropology and public health. They describe the importance of physicians being able to engage in effective boundary work to address the increasingly complex and rapidly changing health care systems in which they will work. In addition, they provide a critical synthesis of the theoretical origins of role boundaries, the strategies employed in and the outcomes of boundary work, and the evolution of who has been involved in boundary work throughout the history of the medical profession. Using insights gained from this analysis, the authors propose strategies to assist medical educators in preparing future physicians to engage explicitly, deliberately and inclusively in boundary work. These include being able to work in rapidly changing and less clearly demarcated roles and being equipped to actively negotiate the future of health care. By meaningfully incorporating role boundaries and boundary work into medical education, the authors contend that medicine and medical education will be better equipped to navigate the growing complexity and instability that is likely to define health care practice moving forward.

Medical students' and faculty members' perceptions and experiences of AI integration in health care practice and in medical curricula: A meta‐ethnographic review

See Chai Carol Chan, Holly Young, Ravi Parekh — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Abstract

With the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), health care systems and medical education are undergoing significant changes. This review examines how medical students and faculty members perceive the opportunities and challenges of AI integration in both health care practice and medical curricula.

A meta-ethnographic approach, following the eMERGe guidelines, was used to synthesise qualitative research that focuses on perceptions and experiences among students and faculty members. Systematic searches were conducted across ERIC, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Medline databases, resulting in 1087 articles. Following an assessment of methodological robustness, 26 articles that met the inclusion criteria were included.

The synthesis incorporated insights from 4380 students and 75 faculty members from at least 48 countries. There were differing experiences and perceptions of AI in health care and its integration in medical curricula. Four third-order constructs were developed. “Implications on clinical practice” demonstrates how these participants view AI as a decision support tool and its impact on humanistic relationships and efficiency. “AI integrity” considers their perspectives on trust, accountability, inequity and the ethical use of AI technologies. “Educational implications and preparedness” examines preparation for the future workforce and approaches and barriers to integration in medical curricula. “Future workforce” considers participants' perspectives related to the evolving roles of health care professionals in an AI-driven landscape.

This review discusses the complex interactions between AI integration in health care practice and in medical curricula, revealing challenges and opportunities as perceived by students and faculty members. Although AI has the potential to revolutionise health care practices, significant educational gaps still hinder its effective implementation. This review advocates for curricula to better tailor to the specific needs of students and faculty members. It also emphasises the importance of incorporating ethical considerations and cross-disciplinary collaboration to ensure readiness for an AI-driven future in health care.

Alternative analytic frameworks in transnational medical education

Samantha Gallivan, Jack Haywood — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Medical Education, Volume 60, Issue 5, Page 583-584, May 2026.

Coping with generative AI's (GenAI) perpetuation of epistemic uncertainties

Olivia Ng, Siew Ping Han, Minyang Chow — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:10:51 -0700

Medical Education, Volume 60, Issue 5, Page 582-582, May 2026.

Social accountability and the social determinants of rural medical career choice: Is a smorgasbord approach ethical?

Paul Worley, Lambert Schuwirth — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 22:48:16 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

‘Like an infant … trying to run a marathon’: A longitudinal audio‐diary study exploring the transition from medical school to internship

Stuart Redvers Pattinson, Hans Savelberg, Anique Atherley — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:08:01 -0700

Abstract

Introduction

The transition from student to doctor represents a challenging shift in identity and responsibility that many graduates find difficult to manage. To understand better how to support the transition to practice we need an exploration of graduates' experiences that does not see the transition as a single moment, but a continuous learning process. This study aimed to explore how medical students negotiate legitimate participation and professional identity formation (PIF) through time as they transitioned to internship in South Africa.

Methods

We conducted longitudinal qualitative research using audio-diaries and semi-structured interviews to collect data from students over 7 months as they transitioned from medical school to several different health care institutions for internship. Twenty-two students took part in entrance interviews, 20 collected audio-diaries and 17 took part in exit interviews. Data were analysed using a narrative analysis approach, using communities of practice (CoP) theory as a sensitising–analytic framework.

Results

We identified four dominant narrative plotlines in our data, revealing how legitimacy and PIF are constantly renegotiated through time. PIF faltered in medical school when students were excluded from hierarchical clinical teams, on graduation when they began to doubt their preparedness and in internship when participants were unable to demonstrate the competencies valued by CoPs within the demanding South African health care system. Professional identity was built when participants perceived themselves as being valued through their meaningful contributions to the shared enterprise of the CoP.

Discussion

We call for a change in our framing of preparedness from ‘preparedness for practice’ to ‘preparedness for transition’, shifting our conceptualisation of preparedness towards equipping students with the resources they need for a complex, contextual, ongoing process rather than a moment in time. This requires clinical learning environments that legitimise trainees as peripheral participants, where learning is orientated towards gaining experience, cultivating professional identity and supporting individuals in developing the confidence, adaptability and resilience that will allow them to thrive as they negotiate the ongoing transition from student to doctor.

From fragmentation to integration: Introducing the COMPEL module in competency‐based physiotherapy curriculum

Mariya Jiandani, Y. Praveen Kumar, Vrushali Panhale — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 18:34:19 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

When I say … liberation pedagogy

Ugo Caramori, Marco Antonio de Carvalho‐Filho — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 18:23:48 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Is AI replacing faculty? Rethinking faculty roles in medical education

Rebekah Cole — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 02:45:04 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

From mechanisms to systems: Reconceptualising supervised workplace learning in postgraduate medical education

Anél Wiese, Deirdre Bennett — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 02:09:26 -0700

Abstract

Background

Why do the same supervisory mechanisms (feedback, observation, entrustment) produce different learning experiences across clinical settings? Current research treats them as discrete behaviours rather than examining how they interact within local contexts. This study uses realist theory to reframe supervised workplace learning as contextually configured systems, examining how key mechanisms (the processes through which attending physicians and residents interact) couple differently across postgraduate clinical settings.

Methods

We conducted a realist-informed multiple case study across four clinical departments in Ireland (Geriatric Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics and Infectious Diseases). Semi-structured interviews with residents and attending physicians explored everyday clinical work, learning and supervisory dynamics. Analysis proceeded in two phases: (1) within-case, theory-informed inductive analysis using a realist theory on supervised workplace learning as a sensitising concept; (2) cross-case configurational analysis tracing how six mechanisms (entrustment, support seeking, monitoring, modelling, meaning making and feedback) patterned differently by context.

Results

Fifty participants (38 residents, 12 attending physicians) were interviewed. All six mechanisms appeared in every setting but were organised into distinct patterns shaped by local conditions. Geriatric medicine: continuous monitoring and narrow entrustment produced high oversight with limited autonomy progression (shaped by patient frailty, strong continuity, containment culture). Surgery: tightly coupled entrustment-monitoring-feedback drove staged procedural progression (shaped by observable performance, resource scarcity, competitive selection). Paediatrics: fluid, overlapping mechanisms enabled relational negotiation (shaped by family-facing work, small teams and psychological safety). Infectious diseases: fragmented, reactive mechanisms produced discontinuous supervision (shaped by severe discontinuity, high workload, frequent roster changes). What distinguished settings was not mechanism presence but mechanism coupling (how mechanisms reinforced or constrained one another), producing systematically different outcomes.

Discussion

Supervision operates as a contextually adapted configuration of interdependent mechanisms, not a set of discrete behaviours. The same mechanisms organise into different patterns depending on local conditions (continuity, patient complexity, resources, culture), producing different learning experiences. These context-dependent patterns (not specialty templates) challenge policies that audit mechanism presence rather than mechanism function, positioning supervision as an emergent practice that requires both enabling structural conditions and skilful pedagogical enactment within those conditions.

The science of learning and development and medical education in times of stress

David A. Hirsh, Eric J. Warm — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 03:12:59 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

The illusion of academic freedom and the promise of the undercommons

Zareen Zaidi, Bridget C. O'Brien — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 02:38:50 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Who gets to choose? Inequality and the illusion of choice in medical careers

Eliot L. Rees, Guilherme Movio — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 02:29:18 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Pragmatism: The ‘easy choice’ for early career medical education researchers?

Emma Claire Phillips — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 02:15:24 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

The myth that slow test‐takers are worse students: Implications for time‐limited testing

Saul J. Weiner, Yoon Soo Park, Morton Ann Gernsbacher, Kristina H. Petersen — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 04:22:57 -0700

Abstract

Problem

Time-limited testing, a form of assessment in which participants have a fixed amount of time to complete an exam, remains a global standard across the medical education continuum from admissions through licensure and board certification. A wide-ranging literature, however, documents how speededness, the extent to which a test's time limit alters individual performance, poses a threat to both validity and equity. Specifically, some students require more time than allotted to complete an exam. When afforded more time, they perform as well as or better than those who complete it within the time constraints. While some students who need more time seek and obtain accommodations, many others—because of stigma or a lack of awareness that they have a disability—fall outside this group. Among those who seek accommodation, some are denied despite a diagnosed disability because they lack childhood documentation.

Myth

There is a lack of sufficient research evidence that people who complete academic tests rapidly are better at making appropriate clinical decisions or acting under time pressure, such as when a patient is bleeding into a surgical field. Rather, studies show experts know when to slow down to better manage a complex situation.

Implications

Eliminating speededness on exams could be accomplished through power tests that functionally eliminate time pressure for virtually all test takers. At a practical level, this could be achieved by giving all examinees maximum accommodation, which is typically double time. Leveraging new technology and optimizing test design, including utilizing computerized adaptive testing, shortening stems, providing fewer response items and allowing remote proctoring, could partially off-set the added time and associated testing centre costs. Given the critical need to accurately and equitably assess performance on these gatekeeping exams, we recommend eliminating time limits expeditiously.

Beyond the myths: Epistemic justice in curriculum contestation

Lindsey Pope, Lynsay Crawford — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 08:04:32 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

When I say … absenteeism

Lorenzo Madrazo, Samantha Halman, Susan Humphrey‐Murto, Kori A. LaDonna — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 05:20:23 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Reprioritising consultation in scoping reviews: Clarifying purposes and practices

Marco Zaccagnini, Lauren A. Maggio, Christina St‐Onge, Tim V. Dubé — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 21:44:13 -0700

Abstract

The consultation stage of scoping reviews, originally proposed by Arksey and O'Malley and further developed by Levac et al and the Joanna Briggs Institute, remains a conceptually ambiguous and inconsistently applied component of knowledge synthesis. In this context, consultation refers to the planned, purposeful engagement with knowledge users to elicit input on priorities, interpretation and gaps and to inform dissemination strategies. Although consultation has been framed as a means to validate findings or inform dissemination, it is often treated as an optional or peripheral activity, if included at all. In this manuscript, we revisit the consultation stage as an integral, collaborative and methodologically embedded feature of scoping reviews, one that warrants the same reflexivity, rigour and transparency as other stages of the process. Drawing from recent critiques in the health professions education literature and our own experience conducting knowledge syntheses, we position consultation not as a standalone study or superfluous add-on but as a dialogical, contextually responsive strategy for engaging knowledge users meaningfully. We offer practical guidance on how to design and execute consultations with methodological intentionality, aligned with the scoping review's epistemological stance and research objectives. Through case examples from our work and additional strategies drawn from the literature, we highlight how consultation can enhance the credibility, usability and relevance of review findings. We also reflect on the ethical and epistemic considerations of consultation, including issues of authorship and the challenges that arise when feedback diverges from review findings. In doing so, we call for a shift in how the consultation stage is conceptualised, designed and reported in scoping reviews. Rather than viewing consultation as a symbolic or confirmatory gesture, we argue that it should be embraced as a dynamic, humanising process that deepens interpretation, challenges assumptions and expands the real-world applicability of scoping review findings.

Enhancing the success of undergraduate medical student research through a dual mentorship model

Long Bao Hoang, Siaw Cheok Liew — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Geopolitics, international collaborations and publication ethics

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 01:09:15 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Researching feedback in clinical education: What might the problems be represented to be?

Joanna Tai — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 06:51:55 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Making case‐based learning work and why context matters

Skye Nandi Adams — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 05:20:18 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

When I say … pragmatism

Ghaith Alfakhry, Danica Sims, Ariel Lindorff — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 05:12:56 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Multi‐speciality simulation to support holistic clinical reasoning across the patient journey

Ashita Leena Ramtohul, Sandiso Moyo, Neeraj Kumar Malhan — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 04:06:06 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Beyond imposter syndrome: Deconstructing the hidden architecture of belonging in medical schools

Xiaoshuai Li, Rui Wang — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:00:15 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Beyond warnings: Leveraging AI disagreement as a catalyst for reflective clinical reasoning

Yu Xiao, Yuan‐Xin Guo, Liang Liu, Zhong‐Rui Ma — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 20:56:17 -0700

Medical Education, EarlyView.

School‐based health centres: Interprofessional training for healthcare students

Isaac Bouhdana, Kathleen Morgan, David D'Arienzo — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 19:57:16 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

From principle to practice: Developing a digital‐age clinical artificial intelligence ethics competence framework through early‐career doctors' experiences

Humairah Zainal, Voo Teck Chuan, Xin Xiaohui, Julian Thumboo, Fong Kok Yong — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 03:11:01 -0800

Abstract

Introduction

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in clinical workflows, clinicians encounter ethical challenges that traditional, principle-based medical ethics education may not adequately address. Empirical evidence on clinicians' experiences with AI-related ethics is limited, constraining curricular improvement. This qualitative study explores how early-career doctors in Singapore perceive and negotiate ethical dilemmas arising from clinical AI use and translates findings into an operationalised competence framework for medical education.

Methods

Between April and June 2025, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 early-career doctors (1–5 years post-graduation) from nine public healthcare institutions in Singapore. Purposive sampling ensured diversity across specialties, institutions, gender and ethnicity. Interviews explored participants' AI-related ethical challenges in day-to-day practice and their perceptions of ethics training in medical school. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's (2022) reflexive thematic analysis, with codes developed iteratively and informed by the four classical bioethical principles as sensitising concepts—autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice. Interdisciplinary reflexive discussions guided the construction and interpretation of themes.

Results

Participants reported limited formal AI education. Seven recurring practical ethical challenges were identified: (1) system opacity, (2) dataset bias and generalisability, (3) data privacy and consent in networked environments, (4) insufficient patient-specific contextualisation of outputs, (5) risks of hallucinations, (6) ambiguous accountability and (7) cognitive offloading. These themes reframed classical bioethical principles through epistemic, relational and institutional lenses.

Discussion

Ethical competence for AI-mediated care requires integrated epistemic and relational capacities beyond technical literacy or traditional medical ethics. We propose the Digital-Age Clinical AI Ethics Competence (DCEC) framework, comprising four domains of epistemic awareness, relational integrity, reflexive accountability and adaptive professionalism, anchored by ethical digital literacy (EDL). Each domain is operationalised with specific learning activities and assessment strategies such as Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) stations, reflective portfolios and ethics viva. We discuss implications for curriculum design, faculty development and competency-based assessment.

When structure mattered more than authorship: Lessons from developing a generative AI Tool for high‐stakes multiple‐choice question generation

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 06:03:58 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

When I say … Simulated ‘patients’

Gerard J. Gormley, Jacqueline Driscoll, Linda Ní Chianáin — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 19:48:53 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Playmobil for stepping up, pressure and prioritisation skills

Simon J. Mercer — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 03:11:59 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

From ‘imposter’ to insight: Reframing imposter phenomenon in health professions education

Michael Gottlieb, Dayle Davenport — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 17:31:07 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

The origin of Student Interest Groups (SIGs)—Evolution of student‐led innovations

Nevin Yi Meng Chua, Jennifer Cleland, Siew Ping Han — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 22:40:48 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

ToC Tick: A time‐efficient way to connect clinician‐educators with the medical education literature

Trevor Thompson, Lizzie Grove — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

‘See me for me’: An intersectional approach exploring sexual and gender minority medical students' experiences of role models

Antony P. Zacharias, Robert Douglas, Debbie Aitken — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 23:14:41 -0800

Abstract

Phenomenon

Sexual and/or gender minority-identifying (SGM) medical students report lower levels of belonging and heightened discrimination in medical schools, especially among those who hold intersecting identities that are underrepresented in medicine (URM). Role modelling has been identified as a tool to combat this phenomenon. We used an intersectional approach to explore how interacting URM identities in relation to SGM identity mediate the experience of role models to influence feelings of belonging.

Approach

We employed interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore nuanced and heterogeneous role modelling experiences. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 medical students from six medical schools in the United Kingdom.

Findings

Participants described how cisheteronormativity often led to loss of identity control, fragmentation and accompanying self-inauthenticity to protect their sense of belonging. Intersecting URM identities heightened feelings of otherness, and mediating multiple URM identities was cognitively taxing to many participants, even within traditionally inclusive spaces. Role models empowered participants to reclaim control over their narratives, engage in activism and enact disruptive visibility that challenged hierarchical norms. Participants valued role models who shared their intersecting identities, although many also emphasised that anyone who visibly respected SGM and URM identities could equally effectively foster belonging. Hierarchy and power imbalances prioritised by medicine limited the positive effects of role modelling and perpetuated identity fragmentation and inauthenticity. Accordingly, role models were consistently most visible and positive when in positions of influence. Overall, when positive and available, role modelling relationships provided practical pathways for students to integrate fractured identity threads into a more coherent, authentic self.

What this paper adds

This study is the first to apply an intersectional lens to role modelling experiences of SGM medical students with multiple URM identities in the UK. We offer some practical steps for medical schools to cultivate inclusive role modelling.

Trainees pursuing parenthood: Infertility and assisted reproduction workshop

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 06:00:47 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Case‐based learning (CBL) in undergraduate health professions education: A realist review

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:25:23 -0800

Abstract

Introduction

Case-based learning (CBL) has been adopted internationally, although there is significant heterogeneity in implementation and delivery. It is unclear how this pedagogical approach is experienced across contexts, among different groups of students, and the important aspects of implementation. The aim of this study was to understand the mechanisms that enable CBL to facilitate learning in undergraduate health professions education, for whom and in what contexts.

Methods

A realist review was adopted to explore the literature on CBL. Initial programme theories were derived from the CBL literature and based on adult learning theory and inquiry-based learning. 5731 abstracts investigating CBL in undergraduate HPE courses were screened in duplicate. 436 full-text papers were screened and assessed for rigour and relevance, resulting in 25 papers suitable for inclusion in the final analysis.

Results

Seven programme theories were developed from our review. Institutional, implementation and student-level factors were found to impact outcomes such as exam performance, participation and clinical reasoning. A lack of institutional support and recognition of faculty contribution to CBL results in poorer learning outcomes. Clinical facilitators promote student engagement, and authentic multimodal cases afford students the opportunity to step into their future roles. When assessment focuses solely on behaviours and teamwork is not fostered, negative group dynamics may result.

Discussion

Our realist review provides insight for healthcare educators on how best to implement CBL to optimise academic, skill and behavioural outcomes for undergraduate students. Fostering student trust in learning through access to clinician facilitators and authentic cases leads to improved learning outcomes. Recognition of faculty and student efforts to contribute to CBL is essential for successful implementation. The facilitation of a safe and secure group learning environment is required for students to meaningfully engage with CBL.

Participatory learning in home health care for complex care

Elaine Lin, Florence Gagne, Karen Fitton, Kathleen Huth — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:04:57 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Early interprofessional training: Nurses teaching medical students

Robert A. Edelstein, Dawn Chandonnet, Barbara Viens, Jody Schindelheim — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 17:43:47 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

A qualitative exploration of first‐in‐family medical students' decisions to partake in noncurricular activities

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 03:05:31 -0800

Abstract

Objectives

Medical students who are first in family (FiF) to attend college navigate an education system with limited social capital compared to their non-FiF peers. This situation leads to difficult decisions regarding the use of their time. How these students balance their goals inside and outside of medical school is an under-explored area within medical education research. By illuminating how FiF students decide what noncurricular activities to perform, this study aimed to better understand how they relate to and manage their time.

Method

Drawing on aspects of constructivist grounded theory, we interviewed 15 US FiF students between September 2023 and May 2024 regarding the noncurricular activities they participated in and how they made decisions with their time. We collected and analysed data iteratively, adjusting the interview protocol as needed to probe deeper into ideas and themes. Formal data analysis included open and focused coding to identify patterns and relationships within and across the data to understand what drives FiF students in their decision-making processes and how this affects their activities.

Results

FiF students are constantly trying to secure their future, prioritizing their survival and that of their communities. They described how persisting through a lifetime of inequity instilled a skill for resourcefulness, and they draw on this experience when choosing activities. Their choices reflected a sense of what they must do, based on alignment with their personal values and a deep sense of responsibility to others.

Conclusions

FiF students must choose activities that contribute to their survival and that of their communities. By illuminating that survival is at the centre of their decision-making, their narratives challenge the ways that medical training emphasizes extracurricular activities. By not necessarily choosing those activities that are expected of medical students, FiF students exert agency to reclaim aspects of their identity deemphasized by school expectations.

Addressing educational gaps in NHS diagnostic imaging

Tina Mistry, Danni Palmer — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 02:35:15 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Mixed‐methods research in medical education: Lessons from a meta‐study of methodological practice

Jennifer Cleland, Anna MacLeod, Susan van Schalkwyk, Rachel H. Ellaway — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0800

Abstract

Introduction

Mixed-methods research (MMR) intentionally combines (variously) theories, study designs, data collection, analyses and/or syntheses associated with more than one approach to research. Despite a rich literature on the theory and practice of MMR, the authors were concerned that much MMR in medical education fell short of the state of the art. To substantiate the problem, the authors conducted a meta-study to explore the strengths and weaknesses of MMR in medical education and to propose a framework to improve the conduct and reporting of this research design.

Methods

Structured searches were conducted, and returns were filtered based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, establishing a corpus of 1070 articles. A series of purposive samples was taken from this corpus and put through full data extraction. The findings from these extractions were synthesized using descriptive statistics and a dialogical identification of core issues of concern.

Results

Descriptive statistics were produced for the full corpus, after which a series of samples led to 547 (51%) articles undergoing full data extraction. There was a significant increase in the number of articles reporting the use of MMR in the last 20 years. Several recurring issues were identified including a lack of theoretical and conceptual grounding in MMR, a lack of diversity in what constitutes MMR, questionable component rigour, a lack of integration (mixing), a tension between MMR as more than one thing and MMR as a methodology in its own right, and very little adaptation and innovation in MMR approaches. These issues had not improved over time.

Discussion

Major gaps in how MMR was justified and used were found. Integration, central to MMR, was notably lacking. Thus, the authors propose a checklist to help researchers and reviewers ensure that future use of MMR in medical education is more rigorous, transparent, complete and accurate.

Medical students' experiences in providing medical care to older patients: A rich picture study

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 23:59:39 -0800

Abstract

Introduction

With an ageing population, future doctors must be prepared to care for older patients facing complex and often chronic needs. Despite curricular efforts, medical students often report less positive attitudes towards providing this care—shaped not only by knowledge gaps but also by cultural norms and the hidden curriculum. Little is known about how students themselves reflect on their clinical encounters with older patients. This study explores medical students' experiences providing care to older patients, and which aspects they find rewarding or frustrating.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative study based on a constructivist paradigm, using semi-structured interviews supported by a visual narrative method (rich pictures). Sixteen final-year medical students who had completed their senior internship were purposively sampled. Participants drew two ‘rich pictures’ representing one positive and one negative clinical experience involving the care of older persons. These drawings were used as prompts for in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

We identified three themes that captured students' experiences: (1) feeling connected, (2) witnessing humane and compassionate care, and (3) making a difference. Rewarding experiences involved human connection, dignity and presence—particularly in end-of-life care or when guided by compassionate role models—leading to a sense of fulfilment. Frustrating experiences arose from poor communication, systemic barriers and unclear goals of care, leaving students feeling powerless, isolated and emotionally burdened.

Conclusion

Students experienced care for older patients as emotionally rich and qualitatively distinct from other clinical work. This practice demands patience, presence, and the ability to navigate complexity beyond mere clinical competence. Medical education should support students in valuing care beyond cure—through fostering reflective practice, peer support, and engaged supervision—helping them reframe what it means to make a difference for older patients and their families in complex, chronic and end-of-life care.

Mirrors and prisms: How interprofessional interactions influence medical students' professional identity formation

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 21:54:14 -0800

Abstract

Purpose

Professional identities impact professional boundaries and hierarchies, influencing how physicians approach collaboration. Despite the growing emphasis on developing students to become effective collaborators, little is known about how other health professionals (OHPs) shape students' professional identity formation (PIF). This study explored how interacting with OHPs during clinical care contributed to medical students' construction of what it means to be a physician.

Methods

For this constructivist grounded theory study, researchers conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with medical students during clinical clerkships. Students drew rich pictures representing their interactions with OHPs and described these pictures during their interviews. Interviews were iteratively conducted and analysed, enabling the research team to theorize how interacting with OHPs contributed to medical students' PIF.

Results

Participants expressed a strong desire to contribute to patient care and described how interprofessional interactions provided opportunities to do so in ways aligned with their current capabilities. These opportunities were often more accessible than the roles and responsibilities of physicians, and participating alongside OHPs fostered participants' sense of their own developing capabilities and belonging on healthcare teams. Interactions with OHPs helped participants to see the expertise of OHPs and the value of collaborating with them in ways that shifted their focus away from becoming independent. Conceptually, participants' interactions with OHPs became both a mirror reflecting their present readiness to meaningfully contribute and a prism through which they could envision their future identities as physicians in new ways.

Conclusions

Interprofessional interactions influenced medical students' current and future professional identities, enabling students to see themselves as contributors on health care teams and highlighting collaboration and interdependence as core attributes of the physician profession. These findings highlight opportunities to amplify the impact of interprofessional interactions on the PIF of medical students and the need for research into how OHPs view their roles in these processes.

Hunting for identity: Scavenger hunts for student orientation

Jenny Blythe, Leila Saeed, Safiya Virji — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 07:15:05 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

BrainMed: A mobile platform for neurosurgical CPD in China

Qiao Zuo, Guoyang Zhang, Pengfei Yang, Jianmin Liu — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 06:38:57 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Simulating interprofessional collaboration: An asynchronous online activity

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 01:53:56 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

‘I was a bit hasty … I was a young resident!’ Medical residents' responses to clinical uncertainty

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 04:07:32 -0800

Abstract

Introduction

Uncertainty is intrinsic to medical practice. Improving trainees' uncertainty tolerance requires exploring their responses to clinical uncertainty in clinical contexts. Although previous research works have highlighted the role of self-assessment, contextual cues and responsibility, existing models—developed for experienced physicians—often fail to capture residents' intuitive, situated responses. This study explores residents' behavioural responses to clinical uncertainty, focusing on how contextual features shape their actions and decision making. Following Hillen et al., we define behavioural responses as the actions individuals take to cope with uncertain situations.

Methods

Using an interpretative paradigm, we conducted a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with residents from several medical specialties. Considering that age, gender and clinical experience shape responses to uncertainty, we used a maximum variation sampling strategy to ensure diversity in year of residency and gender among participants. Audio-recorded interviews were conducted following a pretested interview guide focusing on residents' lived experiences of uncertainty and transcribed into verbatims. Analysis combined deductive coding, informed by Hillen's framework and Han's taxonomy, with inductive theme generation to capture novel insights.

Results

Fourteen participants described three main behavioural responses to clinical uncertainty, aligned with Han's taxonomy: reducing uncertainty, protection and adaptation. Their responses were determined by situational determinants, including the patient, the problem at hand, the environment and their individual characteristics. Over time, participants progressed from avoiding uncertainty or relying on supervisors to taking a more systemic and situated approach, integrating a combination of complementary strategies to balance the objectives of patients and physicians. This approach fostered the development of competence in navigating complex clinical situations.

Discussion

Our study shows that uncertainty is a situated experience shaped by dynamic interactions between practitioners and context. Recognising this helps move beyond a purely cognitive view, framing uncertainty as a core competency developed through experiential learning and supported by adaptive strategies.

Not all reflection is equal: Reflective practice, not self‐reflection, correlates with Indonesian medical students' professional identity formation

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 03:07:26 -0800

Abstract

Background

Professional identity formation (PIF) plays a significant role in the development of medical students, with reflection expected to help learners align their personal values with the expectations of the profession. While theoretical models propose that reflection and PIF advance hand in hand, empirical studies suggest that the various types of reflection may evolve independently. In this study, we aimed to (a) investigate the levels of PIF, reflective practice and self-reflection and insight across academic years, and (b) assess whether reflective practice and self-reflection and insight are significant predictors of medical students' PIF.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional quantitative study that included 1401 medical students from four universities in Indonesia. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire along with the Professional Identity Formation (PIF) questionnaire, Reflective Practice Questionnaire (RPQ) and Self-reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS). We used one-way ANOVA to examine the differences of PIF, RPQ and SRIS across the academic years; Pearson correlations to examine the association between PIF, RPQ and SRIS; and regression analysis to assess the predictive value of RPQ and SRIS on PIF.

Results

Both PIF (F = 32.221, p < 0.001) and reflective practice (F = 6.796, p < 0.001) increased across academic years, while self-reflection and insight remained stable (F = 1.683, p = 0.136). Reflective practice correlated with PIF (r = 0.420; p < 0.001), while self-reflection and insight did not (r = −0.017; p = 0.528). Reflective practice was a significant predictor of PIF in the regression analysis (B = 0.674, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Reflection on practice associates with professional identity formation in medical students, but self-reflection and insight do not.

Virtual teaching and power dynamics: Implications for decolonial practices in LIC‐HIC educational partnerships

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 20:40:17 -0800

Abstract

Introduction

Global collaborations, particularly those between low-income (LIC) and high-income countries (HIC), may inadvertently reproduce the very power differentials they aspire to overcome. The Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration (TAAAC) is a partnership model deliberately built to follow a relational and invited guest model of collaboration with in-person teaching visits by University of Toronto (UofT) faculty to teach within Addis Ababa University (AAU) programmes. The COVID-19 pandemic required that teaching be conducted virtually, which provided an opportunity to explore our assumptions that an in-person component ensured contextual and relational accountability.

Methods

This study used a qualitative case study approach that was both descriptive and intrinsic in nature. We sought to examine and describe the adaptations that emerged in response to a shift towards virtual teaching and to understand the experiences of key stakeholders from both AAU and UofT within the specific context of the TAAAC collaboration.

Results

Two foundational principles of the TAAAC model were disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic: its emphasis on local context and its relational component. As virtual teaching replaced the historical on-site teaching of TAAAC programme curricula, these historical structures were unable to mitigate power differentials between AAU and UofT faculty, teachers and leaders.

Discussion

The relational and context-specific aspects of the TAAAC model were undermined with the use of a virtual platform. Virtual teaching reinforced one-sided knowledge exchange and decontextualized teaching, thereby perpetuating epistemic injustice within TAAAC programmes. This injustice was experienced as a loss of accountability to the relationships that had built and sustained a longstanding LIC-HIC partnership. While virtual teaching has an allure of being efficient and accessible, our experience suggests that it may be poorly suited within partnerships where context and relationality are cornerstones of efforts to reshape dimensions of power.

Lessons learned from using the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation (ADDIE) model for otorhinolaryngology (ENT) education

Yong Boon Ernest Tay, Yufan Elaine Huang, Pei Yuan Fong, Chin Wei Adele Ng — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 01:04:24 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Empowering students to tackle social needs

Sriram Palepu, Sarita Damaraju, Esther Pak, Lauren Eberly — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 21:24:16 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

The Rural Generalist Pathway for medical students: An antidote to despair

Frances Kilbertus, Sarah Newbery, Cheri Bethune, Erin Cameron — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 05:43:41 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

When I say … productive struggle

Sharavan Sadasiv Mucheli, Minyang Chow — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 01:29:32 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Toward kinesthetic awareness: Exploring medical student dance/movement workshops

Zohar E. Ziff, Donna T. Chen, Kathryn Schetlick, Marcia Day Childress — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 01:19:37 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Photography as pedagogy to teach indigenous climate realities

Krishna Mohan Surapaneni — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 06:37:26 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Final‐year students' perspectives on socially responsive curricula in medical education: A qualitative case study

Anthea Hansen, Susan Van Schalkwyk, Cecilia Jacobs — Sun, 04 Jan 2026 23:34:27 -0800

Abstract

Introduction

There is urgency for health professionals to be better prepared to tackle health inequities. Transitioning to responsive and contextually relevant curricula is an important strategy to equip students to be both clinically competent and critically conscious of the contexts in which they provide health care. Although the literature suggests reframing medical education to be responsive, student engagement in this process remains limited. Little is known about how students understand and experience social responsiveness, or their involvement in reframing medical curricula to be more responsive. This paper, therefore, aims to explore how a medical curriculum has influenced undergraduate final-year medical students to become socially responsive.

Method

This was a qualitative exploratory case study positioned within a constructivist paradigm. Data were generated through focus group discussions and individual interviews. Rich picture drawings served as reflective prompts. Initially, 27 students participated. Three withdrew across the course of the study. Data were coded inductively and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. All relevant ethical and institutional approvals were granted.

Results

The findings revealed that becoming socially responsive is a complex endeavour. Four intersecting themes were identified: (i) applying a socially responsive approach to health care; (ii) the culture and traditions of medicine; (iii) shattering of mindsets and (iv) the value of the student voice in the curriculum. The students expressed that the curriculum provided opportunities to engage with concepts related to social responsiveness. However, these opportunities were less frequent and were considered less valuable when compared to biomedical knowledge. Furthermore, the cultures and traditions of medicine were seen to create conditions that position students as consumers of the curriculum.

Conclusion

This paper argues that although the curriculum is an important aspect in developing social responsiveness in students, other aspects, such as the health system and what the student brings should also be considered. Additionally, the students should be considered co-constructors of their learning and key role players in transforming curricula to be socially responsive and contextually relevant.

When I say … impact in health professions education research

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 23:26:30 -0800

Medical Education, EarlyView.

Junior doctors' experiences with vulnerability: A rich picture study

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 22:20:17 -0800

Abstract

Context

The transition to practice is a context in which junior doctors can feel vulnerable. Although we know junior doctors experience intense emotions during their transition to practice, we still do not understand the role of vulnerability in this process. Vulnerability may cause emotional suffering but also offers an opportunity for growth and connection. Set in the context of junior doctors' transition to practice, our research questions are: (a) What does feeling vulnerable mean to junior doctors? (b) What emotions arise when they feel vulnerable? (c) How do they make sense of their vulnerability experiences?

Methods

In this cross-sectional, observational, qualitative study, 14 junior doctors individually drew a rich picture of a vulnerability experience, after which a semi-structured interview was conducted. A rich picture is a visual representation of a situation and is well suited to capture (non-verbal elements of) complex experiences. Rich pictures and interview transcripts were analysed iteratively, for which we applied reflexive inductive thematic analysis.

Results

Junior doctors experienced vulnerability as feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, powerless and lonely. The mismatch between the doctor they believed they should be and the beginning and inexperienced doctor they in fact were was often at the core of vulnerability experiences. Due to this mismatch, junior doctors felt inadequate and often experienced shame, fearing to be judged as incompetent. Junior doctors had to find their own way to make sense of these vulnerability experiences. Left unsupported or neglected, vulnerability could result in isolation and disengagement from learning. When junior doctors did engage with their emotions, vulnerability experiences could also lead to reflection and change.

Conclusions

Acknowledging, expressing, regulating and making sense of emotions is crucial to seize vulnerability experiences as opportunities for transformative learning. In order to facilitate transformative learning, embracing emotions and engaging with critical reflection need to become an explicit part of clinical supervision—enabling not only junior doctors' personal and professional development but also social connection.