BACKGROUND

Professional identity formation (PIF) is a life-long process, starting even before professional education. High levels of motivation for medical school are essential for effective learning and academic success. Both are key factors in future physicians' professional and personal development, and according to self-determination theory, professional identity (PI) and students' levels of motivation could be closely linked. Therefore, we sought to investigate whether PI and strength of motivation for medical school are associated in new medical students.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional survey, all new medical students in Munich, Germany, were asked to complete the Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale (MCPIS-9) and the Strength of Motivation for Medical School-Revised questionnaire (SMMS-R) as well as to provide information about age, gender, and waiting time before starting medical school.

RESULTS

Eight hundred eleven out of 918 new medical students participated in the survey. A positive correlation between the MCPIS-9 and the SMMS-R ( < 0.001) was found. Female students showed higher scores in the SMMS-R ( < 0.05) and the SMMS-R-subscale ( < 0.001) The amount of waiting semesters showed a positive correlation with the total SMMS-R score ( < 0.01) as well as with the subscales and (both  < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

We found an association between PI and strength of motivation for medical school in a large cohort of new medical students. Female gender and more waiting semesters were associated with higher levels of self-perceived motivation and higher scores on the SMMS-R-subscale . More research is needed to better understand this topic to further improve medical education.