Medical students maintain their humanistic and patient-centred vocation throughout Medicine Degree in Spain: a study based on narratives

• Published in: SN Social Sciences Vol. 3; no. 6
• Main Authors: de Rivera Atienza, Víctor Afán, Gutiérrez-Misis, Alicia, Alfonso, Augusto César Blanco, Rodrigo, José María Vizcaíno Sánchez, Arribas, José María, López, Natividad Puche, Castell-Alcalá, María Victoria, Ramos, María Teresa Blanco, Goñi, Jacinta Landa, Pérez, María Dolores Cano, Gutiérrez, María Fátima Prado, Panadés, Rosa María García, Gonzalez-Lopez, Esteban, Gijón-Conde, Teresa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 05.06.2023
• Subjects: Education; Linguistics; Original Paper; Psychology; Social Sciences; Narrative medicine; Medical; Qualitative analysis; Students; Education; Vocation
• ISSN: 2662-9283; 2662-9283
• DOI: 10.1007/s43545-023-00673-z

Narrative medicine has great educational potential in the degree of medicine. This study explores for the first time the use of narrative medicine in relation to longitudinal evolution of medical vocation for the same group of students. In the context of the Degree in Medicine at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain), students wrote narratives about what it meant to them to be a doctor at the beginning and end of their studies. The narratives of 338 students of the academic years 2012/13–2017/18 and 2013/14–2018/19 were analysed and compared. Students mostly pursued a degree in medicine on account of humanistic motivations, which are reinforced throughout their degree. In contrast, up to 10% of students reference to have experienced vocational crises and suffered frustration, with up to 25% of the references pertaining to having made significant sacrifices. Students maintain and evolve their humanistic, patient-centred vision throughout their degree studies, despite the difficulties they appear to encounter. We suggest that efforts must be made to include more humanistic perspectives in the medical degree to keep this trend, which may improve both the educational experience created in universities and the health care given to patients.