Logo image
Professional identity formation among undergraduate pre-medical students: a scoping review protocol
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Professional identity formation among undergraduate pre-medical students: a scoping review protocol

Meklit Endalcachew, Jennifer Deberg, Melissa Swee, Manish Suneja and Bharat Kumar
Systematic reviews, Vol.12(1), 171
09/23/2023
DOI: 10.1186/s13643-023-02329-8
PMCID: PMC10517468
PMID: 37740229
url
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-023-02329-8View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Background Professional Identity formation is the process by which learners internalize a profession’s values, behaviors, and perceptions. With respect to physicians, this occurs at multiple levels of medical education, including the undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education stages. Professional identity formation likely starts even earlier, during the undergraduate pre-medical years but, to date, no known scoping or systematic review has been conducted on this topic. The objective of this scoping review is to systematically map the literature on professional identity formation among undergraduate pre-medical students. Methods This review protocol has been designed following the Arksey and O’Malley framework. We will search MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, and Scopus, as well as relevant grey literature, conference proceedings, and citations of selected articles. Inclusion criteria are articles (1) written in the English language, (2) involving undergraduate pre-medical students in the USA and Canada, and (3) containing original data about professional identity formation. Two independent reviewers will evaluate the titles, abstracts, and full articles for eligibility. A third reviewer will help resolve any disputes. Once the full text of articles are obtained, data will be abstracted using a standardized form. A narrative summary of findings will then be conducted, as well as a consultation exercise with university pre-medical students, pre-med advisors, and first-year medical students. Discussion By conducting this scoping review, we expect to gain a better understanding of how the experiences of undergraduate pre-medical students impact their professional identity formation. These findings will help to identify gaps in the literature, to better characterize professional identity formation in the specific context of the undergraduate pre-medical track, and to outline potential approaches to facilitate professional identity formation among undergraduate pre-medical students.
Protocol

Details

Metrics

Logo image