Trust Me I'm a Doctor; the Importance of Trust in Promoting High Performance Learning in Medical Education

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. Trust is an essential component of developing bonds and, in particular, the relationship between teacher and learner. The cumulative effects of pedagogy, curriculum, content, and delivery in teaching and learning of medical students (MS) are well established and the importance of the relationship between student and teachers, with particular reference to the concept of trust is reviewed, addressing aspects of intention, capability, character, and integrity.Trust is often perceived as a soft quality with respect to education, however trust actually provides an environment of hope and inspirational optimism. In such an environment teachers and learners can be authentic about their 'best selves', developing good character with high emotional intelligence (EI), where honest reflection is the key to enhanced integrity with transparent intentions in their relationships.Trusting relationships in education instil mutual respect, enhance collaboration, and promote the independent thinking that results from transparent and kind mutual interactions. Indeed, loyalty and commitment to values and goals ensures the success of the learning environment. Neuroscience and psychology experiments demonstrate recent evidence to support the importance of trust in relationships that can be considered relevant to teaching and learning. The expression of hormones and brain function, associated with trusting relationships and interpersonal bonding is explored.