The Research Desk
Professional identity formation is crucial for family medicine residents to boost resilience and job satisfaction.
Professional identity formation of family medicine residents in Singapore: a qualitative study to identify influencing factors.
- Growth
- Relationships
Tsang, L., Tan, M., Foo, Y., Lee, C.
In plain language
This study delves into how family medicine residents in Singapore develop their professional identity, a crucial factor in combating burnout and ensuring job satisfaction. The research highlights the importance of integrating professional identity formation (PIF) into residency programs, particularly those that are predominantly hospital-based. By conducting in-depth interviews with residents and family physicians, the study identifies key psychological senses that underpin PIF: competence, connectedness, appreciation, and career trajectory.
The study reveals that reflection and socialization are vital processes that help residents make sense of their roles, learn, and feel a sense of belonging within the family medicine community. It also points out that while some aspects of the residency program support PIF, there is a need for more intentional and structured support to enhance this process. The research suggests that curriculum design and faculty practices should be tailored to foster PIF more effectively.
Key findings
- Four psychological senses—competence, connectedness, appreciation, and career trajectory—are crucial to professional identity formation.
- Reflection and socialization help in developing these psychological senses by enabling meaning-making, learning, and belonging.
- Residency program features can both enable and constrain professional identity formation.
- Intentional support through curriculum design and faculty practices may strengthen professional identity formation.
- Professional identity formation is a dynamic, context-dependent psychological process.
Why it matters for flourishing
Understanding how professional identity forms in family medicine residents can help address issues like burnout and job dissatisfaction, which are significant barriers to flourishing in the medical profession.
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For those in medical education, incorporating structured reflection and socialization opportunities into residency programs can enhance professional identity formation. This, in turn, can lead to greater resilience and job satisfaction among future family physicians.