‘Us versus them’: A social identity perspective of internal medicine trainees

This study aimed to determine if and how the SIP ma y provide insight into intergroup relations as experienced by internal medicine (IM) trainees in Scotland.MethodsInterprofessional communication workshops hosted as part of an IM boot camp between August 2020 and March 2021 were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Subsequent individual interviews with consenting trainees further explored social identity and intergroup relations. Data analysis employed template analysis and deductive independent coding with the SIP informing the initial coding template and new codes added inductively.ResultsSeventeen workshops, involving 100 trainees, and ten subsequent individual interviews were included. Trainees related to the social identity of an IM doctor and to stereotypes within the workplace. They described intergroup tensions resulting from a  perception of differing priorities. They experienced outgroup derogation and the impact of role modelling those in their social group during their identity development.DiscussionThe SIP provides a  useful lens to understand the social phenomena at play for IM trainees. It confirms the expectation of conflict between specialties and negative perceptions of outgroups. There is a need to consider the hidden curriculum of socialisation in the workplace during training and the influence of the l earning environment on identity development.
Source: Perspectives on Medical Education - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: research