Being a physician: what messages have medical students received during the first month of medical school experience?

BACKGROUND

This study aims to investigate the meanings that first-year medical students make about becoming a physician from the messages they receive from the faculty environment, faculty members and senior students after their one-month experience at the faculty of medicine.

METHODS

In this phenomenological qualitative research, in-depth semi-structured interview was used to collect data from 21 first-year medical students, and data were analyzed through inductive content analysis method.

RESULTS

As a result of the analysis, one theme and four categories emerged about gaining professional competencies, having emotions specific to the profession, having sources of motivation, and challenges of becoming a physician in the future. The results reveal that first-year medical students think being a physician will help them gain professional competences, motivate them as the job is prestigious, a guaranteed profession, provides a multidisciplinary working environment, and gives opportunity to serve society and keep people alive. On the other hand, the first-year medical students are aware of the fact that their future profession will bring some challenges such as having to deal with a lot of stress, long working hours, mobbing, and having to study hard all the time during their education.

CONCLUSIONS

We believe that the current study presents significant results and some useful knowledge regarding the first-year medical students' perception of their future career as a physician.