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Professional identity formation, the process of transformation from lay person to doctor, is at the heart of medical education. Medical student cohorts can include students who enter medicine from a previous career, i.e. with developed professional identities and who are usually older and more mature. Students with previously developed professional identities may have specific challenges in negotiating their new 'doctor' identity. This study examined the development of professional identity in mature medical students who had a variety of previous careers prior to entering medical school. A narrative inquiry was undertaken using interviews of mature medical students with backgrounds that included physiotherapy, clinical physiology, public health and nutrition, and the armed forces. A narrative analysis was conducted combining both thematic and structural perspectives using linguistics and positioning theory as interpretive tools. Three main themes emerged that portray the development processes that arise in this cohort as they develop their medical professional identity: "holding back aspects of the previous self"; "foregrounding aspects of the previous self"; and "developing new aspects towards forming a 'new' self." These themes and their implications are discussed in the context of current literature, highlighting some of the specific challenges that this cohort faces in developing their medical identity. We argue that dedicated faculty and student development be offered, exploring how professional identity formation in mature medical students can be facilitated and supported, so staff and students are better equipped to engage and shape mature students' professional identity in a meaningful way.

Insomnia symptoms are common among medical students. This study explored the perspectives of medical students about which sleep management strategies to use. Medical students responded to an online survey on their thoughts about the use of various sleep management strategies. Of the 828 respondents, 568 (69%) provided responses to questions about the most preferred strategies and 450 (54%) provided responses about their least preferred strategies. About 48.5% felt their insomnia symptoms were too mild to see a clinician and 23.9% did not think their symptoms warranted sleep medication. Over 40% of students could not avoid work before sleep, have consistent sleep/wake times, or engage in regular exercise because of their busy and inconsistent schedules. Approximately 40–60% could not improve their sleep environment (e.g. better heating and bed) because of the associated costs. Over 80% reported an inability to change their pre-sleep habits (e.g. using electronics close to bedtime, using bed for activities other than sleep or sex). Half of the students disliked relaxation techniques or felt they would not help. Around 30–50% did not believe that changing caffeine and/or alcohol intake would affect their sleep. Medical students may benefit from additional sleep education. Clinicians may need to discuss which strategies individual students prefer and modify their recommendations accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aim to investigate factors which might affect the sleep of medical students, and how they currently manage their sleep. An online survey was sent to medical students at the University of Otago. After adjusting for gender, ethnicity and age, depressive symptoms (Mild: odds ratio (OR) = 6.3; Moderate: OR = 18.1; Severe: OR = 15.6), and sleep hygiene (OR = 1.07) were associated with insomnia symptoms. Commonly endorsed strategies for sleep management by students were undertaking regular exercise (80.1%), having consistent sleep-wake time (71.3%), and limiting caffeine intake (70.3%). Few were willing to see a clinician (23.4%) or take medication (22.3%). Participants with insomnia symptoms were more likely to prefer limiting their alcohol intake (OR = 1.8), limiting daytime naps (OR = 1.5), seeing clinicians (OR = 1.9), and taking sleep medication (OR = 4.0), but less likely to prefer avoiding intense work (OR =.71) or minimizing using electronics (OR =.60) close to bedtime than those without insomnia symptoms. High sleep self-efficacy was associated with lower odds for having insomnia symptoms (OR =.74 (.70,.77)). Increased awareness and greater resources are needed to support the sleep health of medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2020 health workers everywhere have been challenged by the ongoing ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic. This virus impacted all aspects of life but health-related workplaces particularly, were transformed virtually overnight. Demands were heightened and customary supports came under pressure presenting a huge crisis for health systems. The goal of this study was to explore how this catastrophic pandemic event impacted the wellbeing of healthcare professionals (HCPs) working through this time. Interviews with 57 HCPs from multiple countries and specialty areas were explored utilising inductive content analysis (ICA). Resulting data were then categorised into themes and deductively analysed utilising a method informed by Capability Theory. These were secondary data as the interviews were part of a larger set collected primarily for the purpose of a documentary being made about this experience. This study found that illbeing experiences were prevalent among HCPs. However, significant sources of wellbeing were also evident, and were instrumental in maintaining HCP resilience. Wellbeing was enhanced when HCPs experienced a small number of key capabilities that enabled a broad range of functionings. The capabilities were for (a) participation in positive relationships, (b) a sense of identity, purpose, meaning and value in relation to one's work and (c) ability to provide an appropriate level of medical treatment, care and other role related support. These c apabilities were central to HCP wellbeing irrespective of the individual's location and specialty area, however the ability to realise these capabilities in desired functionings was differentially impacted by each individual's unique circumstances., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: All authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. They are in agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Aim: To explore ways in which student learning during formal ward rounds can be enhanced., Method: Qualitative study of University of Otago medical students (Dunedin, New Zealand) involving observation of surgical teams during formal ward rounds, and indepth interviews with students and consultant surgeons., Results: Teaching and learning opportunities on ward rounds were often missed by both clinical teachers and students as service provision and patient care took precedence. As a result, students often felt excluded and frequently expressed ambivalence about the educational value of formal whole team ward rounds. Students were more likely to consider themselves part of the team when they felt useful and were included in team discussions about patient care. They reported that they learned more effectively on smaller, more educationally focussed ward rounds that incorporated bedside tutorials and opportunities to practice examination skills., Conclusion: Students and clinical teachers know that students need to make the most of learning opportunities by being proactive, spending time on the ward, being useful, asking questions. Clinical staff can facilitate student learning by consciously including students in the business of patient care. This means inviting students to ask questions and examine wounds, physically guiding hands on examinations, encouraging students to pay attention to discussions among the clinical team, and explaining what is being discussed.