To the point: reviews in medical education-taking control of the hidden curriculum

Abstract

This article, the ninth in the "To the Point" series that is prepared by the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Undergraduate Medical Education Committee, discusses the role of the "hidden curriculum" in shaping the professional identity of doctors in training. The characteristics that distinguish the formal curriculum and hidden curriculum are defined. Specific examples of hidden curricula in clinical environments and the positive and negative impacts that may result are highlighted. Techniques to evaluate clinical training environments and to identify the hidden curriculum are provided and are followed by methods to promote its positive messages and lessen its negative ones.