Yes, I Can?! Self-efficacy and professional identity of medical students

Abstract

The development of a professional identity is as important as acquiring knowledge and skills in medical education. A study about teachers’ professional identity found self-efficacy as one of the indicators for the teachers’ sense of professional identity (Canrinus, Helms-Lorenz, Beijaard, Buitink & Hofman, 2011). This study examined the relation between self-efficacy and the sense of professional identity of medical students. A questionnaire measuring self-efficacy and professional identity was set out under all students enrolled in the Master programme of medical education of the University of Utrecht. A factoranalysis was conducted to examine the structure of the questionnaire. Also, regression and MANOVA analyses were conducted. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine aspects of self-efficacy important to the development of professional identity. This study found that there is a relation between self-efficacy and professional identity. Patientcare self-efficacy has the most influence on this relation. The level of clinical experience has an influence on patientcare self-efficacy and evidence based self-efficacy, but the level of clinical experience shows no direct correlation with the sense of professional identity. It appears that students have a sense of professional identity, even when they did not gain a lot of clinical experience yet.