How Does Guided Group Reflection Work to Support Professional Identity Formation in Postgraduate Medical Education: A Scoping Review

Overview

Journal Med Teach

Publisher Informa Healthcare

Specialty Medical Education

Date 2024 Apr 16

PMID 38626746

Authors

Frederieke van Oorschot

Marianne Brouwers

Jean Muris

Mario Veen

Angelique Timmerman

Sandra van Dulmen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: In postgraduate medical education, guided group reflection is often applied to support professional identity formation. However, little is known about how guided group reflection is shaped and how it works. Our scoping review synthesizes existing evidence about various approaches for guided group reflection, their aims, components and potential working mechanisms.

Methods: We conducted a scoping review using JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) guidelines for conducting scoping reviews. We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE and ERIC databases for all research articles published in English or Dutch in an iterative team approach. The articles were extracted and summarized quantitatively and qualitatively.

Results: We included 71 papers (45 primary research papers and 26 non-empirical papers including program descriptions, theoretical concepts and personal experiences). We identified a diversity of approaches for guided group reflection (e.g. Balint groups, supervised collaborative reflection and exchange of experiences), applied in a variety of didactic formats and aims. We distilled potential working mechanisms relating to engagement in reflection, group learning and the supervisor's role.

Conclusions: There are significant knowledge gaps about the aims and underlying mechanisms of guided group reflection. Future systematic research on these topics is needed to understand the effectiveness of educational methods, that can help facilitate learning conditions to best shape professional identity formation (PIF) in educational curricula.

Citing Articles

Analysis of factors influencing medical students' learning engagement and its implications for teaching work-- a network analysis perspective.

Li Y, Wu L, Li F, Fang P, Liu X, Wu S BMC Med Educ. 2024; 24(1):918.

PMID: 39182088 PMC: 11344382. DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05908-y.

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