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. 2022 Nov 18;21(1):200.
doi: 10.1186/s12904-022-01090-4.

Assessing professional identity formation (PIF) amongst medical students in Oncology and Palliative Medicine postings: a SEBA guided scoping review

Kelly Jia Hui Teo  1   2   3 , Mac Yu Kai Teo  1   2   3 , Anushka Pisupati  1   2   3 , Rui Song Ryan Ong  1   2   3 , Chloe Keyi Goh  1   2   3 , Claire Hui Xian Seah  1   2   3 , You Ru Toh  1   2   3 , Neha Burla  1   2   3 , Natalie Song Yi Koh  1   2   3 , Kuang Teck Tay  1   2   3 , Yun Ting Ong  1   2   3 , Min Chiam  3 , Warren Fong  1   4   5 , Limin Wijaya  4   6 , Suzanne Pei Lin Goh  4   7 , Lalit Kumar Radha Krishna  8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15
Affiliations

Assessing professional identity formation (PIF) amongst medical students in Oncology and Palliative Medicine postings: a SEBA guided scoping review

Kelly Jia Hui Teo et al. BMC Palliat Care. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: Introduction to a multi-professional team who are working and caring for the dying, and facing complex moral and ethical dilemmas during Oncology and Palliative Medicine postings influence a medical student's professional identity formation (PIF). However, limited appreciation of PIF, inadequate assessments and insufficient support jeopardise this opportunity to shape how medical students think, feel and act as future physicians. To address this gap, a systematic scoping review (SSR) of PIF assessment methods is proposed.

Methods: A Systematic Evidence-based Approach (SEBA) guided SSR of assessments of PIF in medical schools published between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2021 in PubMed, Embase, ERIC and Scopus databases was carried out. Included articles were concurrently content and thematically analysed using SEBA's Split Approach and the themes and categories identified were combined using SEBA's Jigsaw Perspective. The review hinged on the following questions: "what is known about the assessment of professional identity formation amongst medical students?", "what are the theories and principles guiding the assessment of professional identity formation amongst medical students?", "what factors influence PIF in medical students?", "what are the tools used to assess PIF in medical students?", and "what considerations impact the implementation of PIF assessment tools amongst medical students?".

Results: Two thousand four hundred thirty six abstracts were reviewed, 602 full-text articles were evaluated, and 88 articles were included. The 3 domains identified were 1) theories, 2) assessment, and 3) implementation in assessing PIF. Differing attention to the different aspects of the PIF process impairs evaluations, jeopardise timely and appropriate support of medical students and hinder effective implementation of PIF assessments.

Conclusion: The Krishna-Pisupati model combines current theories and concepts of PIF to provide a more holistic perspective of the PIF process. Under the aegis of this model, Palliative Care and Oncology postings are envisaged as Communities of Practice influencing self-concepts of personhood and identity and shaping how medical students see their roles and responsibilities as future physicians. These insights allow the forwarding of nine recommendations to improve assessments of PIF and shape the design of a PIF-specific tool that can direct timely and personalized support of medical students.

Keywords: Identity; Medical school; Medical students; Mentoring; Oncology; Palliative care; Personhood; Professional identity formation.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have no conflicting interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The SSR in SEBA Process
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
PRISMA Flow chart
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Fig. 3
The Ring Theory of Personhood
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Fig. 4
Tools used in the assessment of PIF grouped according to the stages of Miller’s pyramid
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Krishna-Pisupati model
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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