Abstract
Objectives: To determine the emotional responses to patient care activities described by fourth year medical students. Methods: Qualitative content analysis for emerging themes in letters written by graduating medical students to patients during a Capstone Course. The patient need not be alive and the letter would never be sent. Results: Six themes emerged from student letters: (1) Sorrow for the depths of patient suffering (2) Gratitude towards patients and their families; (3) Personal responsibility for care provided to patients; (4) Regret for poor care provided by the student or student's team; (5) Shattered expectations about medicine and training; and (6) Anger towards patients. Students expressed sensitivity to vulnerable patients, including those who were alone, unable to communicate, or for whom care was biased. Students' expressed powerlessness (inability to cure, managing a work-life balance, and challenges with hierarchy) in some essays. Conclusion: At graduation, medical students describe strong emotions about previous patient care experiences, including difficulty witnessing suffering, disappointment with medicine, and gratitude to patients and their families. Practice implications: Providing regular opportunities for writing throughout medical education would allow students to recognize their emotions, reflect upon them and promote wellness that would benefit students and their patients.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 344-349 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Patient Education and Counseling |
| Volume | 98 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 1 2015 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Medicine(all)
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The emotions of graduating medical students about prior patient care experiences. / Clay, Alison S.; Ross, Elizabeth; Chudgar, Saumil M.; Grochowski, Colleen O Connor; Tulsky, James A.; Shapiro, Dan.
In: Patient Education and Counseling, Vol. 98, No. 3, 01.03.2015, p. 344-349.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - The emotions of graduating medical students about prior patient care experiences
AU - Clay, Alison S.
AU - Ross, Elizabeth
AU - Chudgar, Saumil M.
AU - Grochowski, Colleen O Connor
AU - Tulsky, James A.
AU - Shapiro, Dan
PY - 2015/3/1
Y1 - 2015/3/1
N2 - Objectives: To determine the emotional responses to patient care activities described by fourth year medical students. Methods: Qualitative content analysis for emerging themes in letters written by graduating medical students to patients during a Capstone Course. The patient need not be alive and the letter would never be sent. Results: Six themes emerged from student letters: (1) Sorrow for the depths of patient suffering (2) Gratitude towards patients and their families; (3) Personal responsibility for care provided to patients; (4) Regret for poor care provided by the student or student's team; (5) Shattered expectations about medicine and training; and (6) Anger towards patients. Students expressed sensitivity to vulnerable patients, including those who were alone, unable to communicate, or for whom care was biased. Students' expressed powerlessness (inability to cure, managing a work-life balance, and challenges with hierarchy) in some essays. Conclusion: At graduation, medical students describe strong emotions about previous patient care experiences, including difficulty witnessing suffering, disappointment with medicine, and gratitude to patients and their families. Practice implications: Providing regular opportunities for writing throughout medical education would allow students to recognize their emotions, reflect upon them and promote wellness that would benefit students and their patients.
AB - Objectives: To determine the emotional responses to patient care activities described by fourth year medical students. Methods: Qualitative content analysis for emerging themes in letters written by graduating medical students to patients during a Capstone Course. The patient need not be alive and the letter would never be sent. Results: Six themes emerged from student letters: (1) Sorrow for the depths of patient suffering (2) Gratitude towards patients and their families; (3) Personal responsibility for care provided to patients; (4) Regret for poor care provided by the student or student's team; (5) Shattered expectations about medicine and training; and (6) Anger towards patients. Students expressed sensitivity to vulnerable patients, including those who were alone, unable to communicate, or for whom care was biased. Students' expressed powerlessness (inability to cure, managing a work-life balance, and challenges with hierarchy) in some essays. Conclusion: At graduation, medical students describe strong emotions about previous patient care experiences, including difficulty witnessing suffering, disappointment with medicine, and gratitude to patients and their families. Practice implications: Providing regular opportunities for writing throughout medical education would allow students to recognize their emotions, reflect upon them and promote wellness that would benefit students and their patients.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84921553882&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84921553882&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pec.2014.11.023
DO - 10.1016/j.pec.2014.11.023
M3 - Article
C2 - 25541412
AN - SCOPUS:84921553882
VL - 98
SP - 344
EP - 349
JO - Patient Education and Counseling
JF - Patient Education and Counseling
SN - 0738-3991
IS - 3
ER -