Reflection on the response of healthcare professionals to the COVID-19 pandemic-preclinical students identify what their profession is about

Background & Objective: Medical professionalism and identity formation are typically learned through hands-on medical training and practice. But during the early COVID–19 pandemic, medical students were displaced from campus. However, they could engage with the characteristics of the profession...

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Main Authors: Prerna Agarwal, Dalia A Biswas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Zanjan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services 2025-04-01
Series:Journal of Medical Education Development
Subjects:
Online Access:http://edujournal.zums.ac.ir/article-1-2163-en.html
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author Prerna Agarwal
Dalia A Biswas
author_facet Prerna Agarwal
Dalia A Biswas
author_sort Prerna Agarwal
collection DOAJ
description Background & Objective: Medical professionalism and identity formation are typically learned through hands-on medical training and practice. But during the early COVID–19 pandemic, medical students were displaced from campus. However, they could engage with the characteristics of the profession by critically observing the response of healthcare professionals to the COVID–19 pandemic through news, such other means. and personal experience. The purpose of this study was to explore if preclinical students could discern the core values of their profession in such unusual circumstances. Material & Methods: The qualitative study, content analysis based on the principles of grounded theory, was conducted from October 2020 – January 2021, among the preclinical students of a medical college in India. After an online sensitization, they were asked to write reflection notes. The reflection notes of all 28 respondents were analysed thematically using QDA Miner Lite 2.0.5. Results: There were 28 respondents. An exhaustive number of 15 themes emerged from the analysis of their reflection notes that encompassed various aspects of the medical profession – ranging from good moral character attributes of a healthcare professional to hazards of the profession to the students taking pride in being associated with it. What is identified by a student as being important, may be expected to be learned better by them. Therefore, we may expect these students to have learned about the attributes of medical professionalism and identity formation, which they had identified through reflection, more meaningfully when they joined back Conclusion: Even while off campus, students likely continued to learn about their profession. It is reasonable to expect they may gain a deep understanding of their profession upon resuming their training on campus.
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spelling doaj-art-d719ffa432a8437ea491e5921a195c2e2025-08-20T02:29:03ZengZanjan University of Medical Sciences and Health ServicesJournal of Medical Education Development2251-95212980-76702025-04-011817686http://dx.doi.org/10.61186/edcj.18.1.76Reflection on the response of healthcare professionals to the COVID-19 pandemic-preclinical students identify what their profession is aboutPrerna Agarwal0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9466-1253Dalia A Biswas1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7413-8473Department of Physiology, Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Greater Noida 201310, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaDepartment of Physiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education & Research (DU), Sawangi (Meghe) 442107, Wardha, Maharashtra, IndiaBackground & Objective: Medical professionalism and identity formation are typically learned through hands-on medical training and practice. But during the early COVID–19 pandemic, medical students were displaced from campus. However, they could engage with the characteristics of the profession by critically observing the response of healthcare professionals to the COVID–19 pandemic through news, such other means. and personal experience. The purpose of this study was to explore if preclinical students could discern the core values of their profession in such unusual circumstances. Material & Methods: The qualitative study, content analysis based on the principles of grounded theory, was conducted from October 2020 – January 2021, among the preclinical students of a medical college in India. After an online sensitization, they were asked to write reflection notes. The reflection notes of all 28 respondents were analysed thematically using QDA Miner Lite 2.0.5. Results: There were 28 respondents. An exhaustive number of 15 themes emerged from the analysis of their reflection notes that encompassed various aspects of the medical profession – ranging from good moral character attributes of a healthcare professional to hazards of the profession to the students taking pride in being associated with it. What is identified by a student as being important, may be expected to be learned better by them. Therefore, we may expect these students to have learned about the attributes of medical professionalism and identity formation, which they had identified through reflection, more meaningfully when they joined back Conclusion: Even while off campus, students likely continued to learn about their profession. It is reasonable to expect they may gain a deep understanding of their profession upon resuming their training on campus.http://edujournal.zums.ac.ir/article-1-2163-en.htmlhealth professionmedical professionalismprofessional identity formationreflective thinking
spellingShingle Prerna Agarwal
Dalia A Biswas
Reflection on the response of healthcare professionals to the COVID-19 pandemic-preclinical students identify what their profession is about
Journal of Medical Education Development
health profession
medical professionalism
professional identity formation
reflective thinking
title Reflection on the response of healthcare professionals to the COVID-19 pandemic-preclinical students identify what their profession is about
title_full Reflection on the response of healthcare professionals to the COVID-19 pandemic-preclinical students identify what their profession is about
title_fullStr Reflection on the response of healthcare professionals to the COVID-19 pandemic-preclinical students identify what their profession is about
title_full_unstemmed Reflection on the response of healthcare professionals to the COVID-19 pandemic-preclinical students identify what their profession is about
title_short Reflection on the response of healthcare professionals to the COVID-19 pandemic-preclinical students identify what their profession is about
title_sort reflection on the response of healthcare professionals to the covid 19 pandemic preclinical students identify what their profession is about
topic health profession
medical professionalism
professional identity formation
reflective thinking
url http://edujournal.zums.ac.ir/article-1-2163-en.html
work_keys_str_mv AT prernaagarwal reflectionontheresponseofhealthcareprofessionalstothecovid19pandemicpreclinicalstudentsidentifywhattheirprofessionisabout
AT daliaabiswas reflectionontheresponseofhealthcareprofessionalstothecovid19pandemicpreclinicalstudentsidentifywhattheirprofessionisabout