Accepted Type
Oral
Code
OF1-2-1
Acceptance Declaration
Accept
Additional Information
I declare I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this program.
Was this work accepted for CCME 2020?
no
Category
General Call (Workshop, Oral Presentation, Poster Presentation)
Type
Oral
Sub Type
Education Research
Will the presenter be a:
Student
Affiliation
Considered for Poster
yes
Title
Managing expectations, uncertainty, and growth: An autoethnographic lens on resilience building in clerkship and COVID-19
Length of Presentation
Background/Purpose
Autoethnography is a qualitative research methodology with increasing popularity in medical education, wherein the author uses dedicated self-reflection to explore personal experiences and derive broader sociocultural understanding. The purpose of this project was to reflect on the nature of resilience - along with factors that foster and hinder it - using an autoethnographic lens.
Methods
Two third-year medical students reflected on transformative moments throughout their core clerkship (11 months of clinical work, 3 months of hiatus secondary to COVID-19). Reflections were guided by prompts - all centred on events, emotions, factors, and outcomes, and how each of these fit with their sense of personal progress. In an iterative process, the students met quarterly with two first-year resident physicians with previous experience in autoethnography to explore reflections and discuss broader implications.
Results
40 reflections were written over 14 months. Major themes for building resilience included: learning to focus on internal validation and strength, self-worth outside of preceptor feedback, and viewing harsh criticisms and self-inflicted failure through a rational lens. Other key themes, especially in the context of the COVID-19 hiatus, were the inevitability of uncertainty in clinical work and finding solace in efforts instead of results. Both students found near-peer debriefing with residents to be therapeutic for augmenting change and growth.
Conclusion
Autoethnography provides a safe space for learners to grow and explore their 'insider' experience in the culture of medical training. Undergraduate medical programs should strongly consider implementing autoethnography and near-peer groups to improve student introspection and resilience.
Keyword 1
Autoethnography
Keyword 2
Resilience
Keyword 3
Near-peer mentoring
Level of Training
Undergraduate
Abstract Themes
Physician & Medical Student Health and Well-being
Additional Theme (First choice)
Undergraduate
Additional Theme (Second Choice)
Additional Theme (Third Choice)
Authors
Presenter
Zi Ying Zhao
Term 1
Yes
Term 2
Yes
Term 3
Yes
Term 4
Yes
Term 5
Yes
