An evaluation of professional identity formation: A comparison between academic and professional medical students

Background & Objective: Professional Identity (PI) is essential in medical education to prepare students for interprofessional collaboration. The study analyses medical students' professional identity and the internal factors that influence it. Material & Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2023. Total sampling was conducted on fourth-year academic level and second-year professional level students. Questionnaires were distributed via Google Form and only completed questionnaires were analyzed. Professional identity was measured using Tagawa's Development Scale. Results: The study was conducted at Hasanuddin University's Faculty of Medicine in Makassar, Indonesia. The total number of respondents was 492, consisting of 203 undergraduate and 288 second-year clerkship students. Students in both education levels showed positive results in self-control, awareness as a doctor, and reflection on the role of a doctor. However, social responsibility and self-external and self-internal internalization indicated lower scores. Age showed varying results for self-control, self-awareness as a doctor, and reflection on the role of a doctor. Living independently demonstrated differences only in the ability to self-externalize and self-internalize. The school of origin did not indicate significant differences for all development scale factors. At the same time, parent occupation exhibited distinct effects on self-control, awareness as a doctor, reflection on the role of a doctor, and social responsibility. Motivation showed differences only in the factor of self-control. Conclusion: Regarding self-control, self-awareness, and self-reflection, medical students' professional identities are better developed at the professional than academic levels. Integrity, internalization of external and internal influences, and social responsibility components are still low and do not vary. Age, parents' educational backgrounds, and reasons for enrolling in medical school influence professional identity formation.