Trainee distress and burnout continue to be serious concerns for educational programs in medicine, prompting the implementation of numerous interventions. Although an expansive body of literature suggests that the experience of meaning at work is critical to professional wellbeing, relatively little attention has been paid to how this might be…

Historically, medical education has focused largely on medical students' intellectual development, mostly ignoring the broader psychological milieu of medical practice. This chasm can result in practitioners who are less likely to process their emotions and/or support their patient's needs, and more likely to experience burnout. Self-determination…

In 2005, the Royal College of Psychiatry Faculty of Learning Disability's three judges unanimously awarded the inaugural Medical Student Essay Prize to Ian Harwood, a mature medical student at Barts & The London School of Medicine. This reflective piece records an undergraduate's contact with an adolescent suffering from advanced Sanfillipo…

The development of professional identity as a family physician is better understood by referring to Erikson's description of the development of personal identity. Erikson describes eight stages, each one defined by its alternative outcomes--the best versus the worst that can happen. (MLW)

A program in personal and professional development for interns was developed at the University of Connecticut Affiliated Hospitals to reduce maladaptive responses to the stresses of medical training. The goals of the program are to provide a supportive atmosphere, build trust, and promote deeper self-understanding and sensitivity. (Author/MLW)

A component of a freshman psychiatry course in which students are permitted to pursue independent study in any aspect of the human life cycle is described. Examination of student topics over a three-year period revealed that many chose areas of study relating to significant past personal experiences. (Author/MLW)

The results of a study designed to determine the relationship between time students on preceptorships spend in the emergency room and their self-judged anxiety while working there is reported. As a result of this study, program administrators have encouraged preceptors to expand emergency room experience. (Author/MLW)

An investigation to examine the value of a support group technique designed to assist medical students during their clerkships in psychiatry is reported. The Planned Change Model of Personal Growth was tested to determine its effect on the students' attitude toward themselves. (JMD)

U.S. Schweitzer Fellows Programs support over 100 health professions students annually in six locations. Fellows participate in activities designed to strengthen the ideals that attracted them to health care. Program alumni report that their experiences integrate their own ideals into professional and career development. Such programs may…