Workshop on Core Values for First-Year Medical Students: Supporting Professional Identity Formation

Abstract

Introduction: While medical education often emphasizes the acquisition of knowledge and professional behavior, it tends to under-address students' personal development. This dimension-subjectification-is essential in education, alongside qualification and socialization. To address this gap, we developed a core values workshop to guide first-year medical students in identifying and reflecting on personal values. Methods: We integrated this 2-hour workshop into the professional development curriculum. We guided groups of 8-18 students through three exercises: Values Board discussion, individual reflection, and plenary video analysis. We collected evaluation data through anonymous online surveys, which included 10 quantitative and three open-ended questions. Results: We analyzed responses from 397 students. Students rated the workshop 7.3/10. From 288 qualitative responses, we identified four main themes: self-knowledge, where students reported a better understanding of their values; perspective, reflecting students' awareness of others' interpretations; professional context, involving connections between personal values and the medical profession; and applying, describing how students intended to implement their values in practice. Based on these results, we found support for educational objectives 1-3, while support for educational objectives 4 and 5 was more limited. Discussion: The workshop enhanced self-knowledge among first-year medical students, with participants reporting clearer understanding of personal values. However, challenges remain linking personal values with professional identity formation, possibly due to too early timing of the program during preclinical training.