Open Access“To obey or not to obey” - Medical students’ response towards professional dilemmas in a hierarchical and collectivist culture
Author(s) -
Diantha Soemantri,
Nadia Greviana,
Ardi Findyartini,
Tiara Berliana Azzahra,
Kemal Akbar Suryoadji,
Rita Mustika,
Estivana Felaza
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0261828
Subject(s) - thematic analysis , dilemma , focus group , medical education , psychology , professional development , qualitative research , professional boundaries , pedagogy , medicine , nursing , sociology , social science , philosophy , epistemology , anthropology
Background Clinical clerkship programme in medical schools were developed to provide students with direct interactions with patients and observe clinical teachers in practice. However, professional dilemmas are prone to occur due to the nature of experiential learning. Several studies across different cultures showed that medical students responded differently towards professional dilemma. Aims This study aims to explore how medical students respond to professional dilemmas occurred during their clinical clerkships and to what extent culture influences the responses. Method A qualitative descriptive approach was used in this study. We conducted four focus group discussions with final year medical students who were selected using maximum variety sampling method. Thematic analysis was conducted following the transcription of the focus groups. Results We identified the impact of dilemmas on students’ emotions and concerns, students’ responses towards professional dilemmas, and factors affecting responses to dilemmas in clinical clerkship, which confirmed that cultures played roles in how students responded towards professional dilemmas. Conclusion This study has identified that culture, to some extent, influenced the way students responded to professional dilemmas. Therefore, it is paramount to develop a conducive and culturally sensitive educational environment and students’ ability to learn from professional dilemma experienced in the workplace for developing their professional identity.