Personal And Professional Development Research Articles

The ‘four selves’ framework for facilitating personal and professional development (PPD) in qualifying‐level systemic psychotherapy training

AbstractPersonal and Professional Development (PPD) has been long considered a central component of counselling and psychotherapy training. Key literature in respect of PPD approaches for psychotherapy training is reviewed, and the scant literature specifically relating to systemic psychotherapy noted. The ‘Four Selves’ PPD Framework, developed in Northern Ireland by the lead author as part of qualifying‐level Systemic Psychotherapy training, is presented, including its diagrammatic representation, constituent elements and an illustrative example. This is followed by guidance from the PPD tutor (lead author) based on her experience of utilising the Framework to facilitate tailored PPD sessions across the two‐year clinical Masters programme aimed at enhancing trainee self‐reflexivity, supplemented by feedback on the ‘model‐in‐practice’ from a recent cohort of students. The article concludes by encouraging readers to consider the applicability of The ‘Four Selves’ PPD Framework to their own psychotherapy training contexts.

Implementing Interprofessional Education in Preclinical Curriculum Increases Teamwork, Ethics, and Professional Skills in Healthcare Students

Background: Interprofessional Education (IPE) fosters collaboration among healthcare professionals to enhance patient care. This study aimed to develop a Personal and Professional Development (PPD) module using an IPE approach for preclinical medical and dental students to cultivate essential competencies such as teamwork, communication, and leadership from early training. Methods: This mixed-method study involved a needs assessment survey among 307 medical and 124 dental preclinical students at a tertiary healthcare university in Malaysia. The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) was used to assess attitudes towards IPE. A PPD module was developed and validated using the Delphi method with input from an IPE team. Implementation involved an IPE PPD training workshop for 70 students, incorporating interactive learning activities. Pre- and post-tests, along with reflective summaries, were used for evaluation. Results: The needs assessment showed readiness for IPE, with mean RIPLS scores of 4.56 for MBBS and 4.35 for BDS students. The module achieved significant content validity (SCVI > 0.9). Post-implementation results demonstrated a significant improvement in test scores (p < 0.01). Thematic analysis of reflective summaries indicated enhanced competencies in teamwork, communication, leadership, and professionalism. Conclusion: The IPE-based PPD module effectively fostered key competencies among preclinical students, supporting the integration of IPE in early medical education to prepare students for collaborative practice in clinical settings.

On-site peer mentorship's effect on personal and professional development, stress reduction, and ease of transition into the medical education system.

Mentorship aids in the transition into the medical education system, which is a demanding and stressful time for learners. The development of new medical schools to offset the physician shortage has posed a challenge in that the inaugural class of students lacks an upperclassman cohort as a resource for advice and mentorship. Mentorship has proven to have positive impacts on three domains: personal and professional development (PPD), stress reduction (SR), and ease of transition (ET) into medical school. The purpose of this study was to identify sources of mentorship within the medical education system and compare the subjective growth of the inaugural and second classes of a newly established medical school in the three domains. The inaugural and second classes at a newly established medical school completed an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved anonymous survey with questions pertaining to unidentifiable demographics, sources of mentorship, and a five-point Likert scale assessing characteristics related to the three domains. Twenty-three students responded to the survey. The second class (n=9) rated their growth higher in all three domains compared to the inaugural class (n=14). The inaugural class utilized the faculty mentor the most (11/14, 78.6 %). The second class utilized the on-site peer mentor the most (9/9, 100 %). Qualitative data analysis led to the emergence of three themes: (1) students utilizing their faculty mentor had the greatest growth in PPD and ET; (2) students utilizing on-site peer mentorship reporting the greatest growth in SR; and (3) informal peer mentorship utilization correlating with less growth in the three domains. Our study demonstrates the profound impact that mentorship has on growth in the three domains regardless of the type of mentorship utilized. The benefits, specifically with regard to SR, of an on-site peer mentorship program may not have been satisfied by other sources of mentorship.

Building professional identity during social work education: the role of reflective writing as a tool

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to increase knowledge about how the process of building a professional identity can be incorporated into social work education at a Swedish university. In the subject called Personal and Professional Development (PPD), taught during the first five semesters, students are trained in specific generic skills and approaches required in social work. Different pedagogical tools, such as keeping a logbook in which students can reflect on different course elements, are used to support the learning- and development process. The data consists of 95 log texts and critical reflections from 41 students who finished the PPD course. Thematic content analysis with both quantitative and qualitative elements was used. The results indicate that this course gives students the opportunity to begin the process of developing their professional identity by linking knowledge and skills training to ideas about their future profession. The results point to the field placement as a central part in this process where theoretical knowledge can be contextualized and focus can be broadened from the individual to the societal level. One conclusion is that reflective writing seems to be a valuable and important part of students’ development of metacognition by making their own learning visible.

A qualitative meta‐analysis examining the impact of personal therapy on clinical work and personal and professional development

AbstractObjectiveThis study explored how personal therapy (PT) is experienced by psychotherapists, focussing on its positive and negative impact on clinical work as well as personal and professional development (PPD). The current meta‐analysis considered qualitative research studies focussing on therapists' experiences of the impact of their PT on their clinical activities and development.MethodA systematic review of the literature led to the identification of 21 published qualitative research studies. The findings from individual studies were subjected to grounded theory meta‐analysis.ResultsFive clusters were identified: (1) PT helps to increase self‐awareness in general and within the therapeutic relations; (2) PT helps therapists to adopt a therapeutic approach by observing and experiencing the impact of therapeutic interventions; (3) PT helps to support patients in the therapeutic process on the basis of one's own experience of going through a therapeutic process; (4) PT helps therapists to become more confident and authentic because it fosters self‐acceptance; and (5) PT hinders clinical work and PPD through exposure to inadequate interventions and by stirring up personal issues. The four helpful clusters can be linked to the processes of personal growth, learning through observation and experience, experiential learning, and professional identity development, respectively.ConclusionThe findings of this study indicate that PT can have a helpful impact on clinical work and PPD through four processes that strengthen effective therapist skills, attitudes and ways of being. However, several studies demonstrate that the influence of PT on clinical work and PPD can also be experienced as complex, ambiguous and even harmful.

Evaluation of Student Success through a Personal and Professional Development (PPD) Course Thread Intervention System

Evaluation of Student Success through a Personal and Professional Development (PPD) Course Thread Intervention System

"We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know” – A Qualitative Study of Medical Student Perceptions of Student Affairs

Background/Objective:As one of the largest medical schools in the U.S. with nine regional campuses, Indiana University School of Medicine Office of Student Affairs (OSA) is designed to address students’ concerns and facilitate their personal and professional development (PPD). U.S. medical schools are evaluated on these areas using a nationally-normed graduation questionnaire of fourth-year students. This study used focus groups to better understand second-year students’ expectations, experiences, and ideas related to PPD programming and relationships with the OSA.
 Methods:All second-year medical students were invited to participate in a focus group in exchange for a modest meal and school-branded merchandise. The first and second author conducted seven, semi-structured focus groups (3-8 participants each) with a total of 39 students. Discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Three authors used NVivo™ qualitative analysis software to perform inductive thematic analysis according to established methods.
 Results:Four themes were identified: 1. “It’s a Two-Way Street”: students expect accessibility to faculty who can affect change, and ongoing responsiveness about inquiries that have been submitted. 2. Proximally-Relevant Information: information students define as pertinent and ideas about communicating more effectively. 3. Guidance for the Future: students desire mentorship from individuals who truly understand physicians career paths. 4. In the Classroom and Beyond: students want relevant topics and formats for PPD. Participants also provided insights into existing, valuable programming.
 Conclusion/Impact:Second-year medical students have specific needs for their development, including clinical experience, discussion of current events, and mentorship. Students expressed concern that opportunities for development are not comparable across all campuses. In their relationships with OSA, students desire easy access to voice inquiries and robust responsiveness about resolution. Results of this study can be used at institutions with a regional campus model to shape future programming for PPD and improve channels of communication with all students.

Making a compulsory course compelling

This case study focuses on teaching a small group of level 4 personal and professional development (PPD) students on the BSc Economics course at the University of Greenwich. A student-centred approach to learning, combined with joint decision-making, is shown to have successfully created a more engaged and productive learning environment. Evaluation is based on a mixture of oral feedback, testimonials and assessment outcomes. The possible limitations and lessons of this exercise are also discussed.

An Intervention to Remediate Unprofessional Behaviours of Pre-Clinical Medical Students

Remediating the unprofessional behaviours of medical students is essential because the unprofessional behaviours of medical practitioners could be traced back to their previous behaviours in medical schools. This study evaluated a programme that used reflection in remediating students with unprofessional behaviours. Personal and professional development (PPD) assignments have a “hidden curriculum” on professional behaviours expected of medical students. Seven students who repeatedly failed to complete the PPD assignments were required to attend a remediation programme. The remediation programme aims to help students reflect on their behaviours. They compared professional behaviours between medical practitioners and students and discussed unprofessional behaviours using actual cases. Thematic analysis was performed on the reflective essays of the students, collected at the beginning and the end of the remediation programme. At the beginning of the programme, students expressed anger because they felt that the PPD assignments were minor tasks. At the end of the programme, students expressed their regretful feelings; they recognised lessons learnt and developed corrective measures. A follow-up reported that the faculty no longer deemed the students unsatisfactory in their professional behaviours one year later. Reflection is recognised as useful in healthcare education, but there is a lack of published evidence to answer whether reflection can be learned. In this study, the students learnt to reflect on their previous professional behaviours, and they developed corrective measures to avoid the recurrence of these previous behaviours. The findings may imply that reflection could be taught and learned to cultivate professional behaviours among medical students.

Why did Medical Graduates Appreciate Mentored Student Project? Perspectives of Two Theories

Background: Medical doctors have to develop in professionalism in addition to become competent in clinical skills. Therefore, educators in Melaka Manipal Medical College have inculcated personal and professional development (PPD) projects into medical curriculums. The projects were in the form of Role Plays/Narratives/Creative writing and Mentored Student Project (MSP). Short terms outcomes of the projects were evaluated, and the research disclosed the positive effect of all PPDs on medical students. However, the long-term effect was yet to be evaluated. The findings of the previous study have not explained why those PPD projects are successful. While twenty fresh medical graduates were asked to reflect on one best learning experience as a qualitative evaluation of the programme, students’ appreciation of MSP disclosed. This study aimed to explore the students’ reflection to identify the reasons for their appreciation of MSP and the long-term effect of it.
 Study Design: Qualitative research.
 Methodology: Three reflective writings by fresh graduates were analyzed using the interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach. Students expressed their conscious perceptions about MSP in the form of words in their reflections. The researcher carefully read the reflections and interpret the words and phrases to catch the students’ perception of MSP.
 Results: The qualitative analysis revealed the reasons for participating in MSP and their appreciation about MSP. The main reason for students’ participation in MSP was to fulfill the requirement of the medical programme although one student mentioned that she was interested in MSP due to the nature of MSP. Four themes were formulated as reasons for their appreciation of MSP: (1) having an opportunity to choose their research topic, (2) the presence of a mentor to guide each student group, (3) opportunity for the poster presentation on results of MSP and (4) satisfaction with the overall outcome of the MSP.
 Conclusion: This study highlights the long-term impacts of MSP on students which matched with the expected learning outcomes set by Ministry of Education Malaysia. The analysis disclosed not only the outcome but also the process of MSP contribute for its success.

Leadership and management influences on personal and professional development and group dynamics: a student’s experience

The ever-evolving nature of nursing requires professionals to keep their knowledge up to date and uphold the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code by engaging themselves in ongoing personal and professional development (PPD). This article aims to highlight the importance of good leadership and management in healthcare and to explore the literature surrounding leadership and management, such as the current NHS healthcare leadership model ( NHS Leadership Academy 2013 ), the Leading Change, Adding Value Framework underpinned by the 10 commitments and 6Cs ( NHS England 2016 ) and the NMC Code ( NMC 2015a ) in relation to PPD. It examines how nurses can be supported in their PPD by their team leader and or managers using examples experienced in a clinical setting while caring for children and young people (CYP). Furthermore, the importance of team working and group processes in the context of leadership will be deliberated, using examples of formative group work to illustrate principles described in the literature. Finally, reflections will be discussed on how learning from this experience can influence future practice when caring for CYP.

Enhancing student learning experience with technology-mediated gamification: An empirical study

We evaluated the use of gamification to facilitate a student-centered learning environment within an undergraduate Year 2 Personal and Professional Development (PPD) course. In addition to face-to-face classroom practices, an information technology-based gamified system with a range of online learning activities was presented to students as support material. The implementation of the gamified course lasted two academic terms. The subsequent evaluation from a cohort of 136 students indicated that student performance was significantly higher among those who participated in the gamified system than in those who engaged with the nongamified, traditional delivery, while behavioral engagement in online learning activities was positively related to course performance, after controlling for gender, attendance, and Year 1 PPD performance. Two interesting phenomena appeared when we examined the influence of student background: female students participated significantly more in online learning activities than male students, and students with jobs engaged significantly more in online learning activities than students without jobs. The gamified course design advocated in this work may have significant implications for educators who wish to develop engaging technology-mediated learning environments that enhance students’ learning, or for a broader base of professionals who wish to engage a population of potential users, such as managers engaging employees or marketers engaging customers.

Personal And Professional Characteristics Of A Good Muslim Doctor: Perception Of Newly Graduated Doctors

Introduction: The Medical Faculty of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) aims to produce good Muslim doctors (GMD) who are able to practise medicine that is integrated with Islamic values. Islamic courses and Medical Ethics are integrated into the curriculum in its effort to provide adequate Islamic knowledge and nurturing professionalism as a process of personal and professional development (PPD) within the framework of Islamic teaching. The objective of the study was to evaluate the perception of graduates and students of characteristics of a GMD. Method: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the participants. The respondents were asked to rate their level of agreement or disagreement on the statements that represent the characteristics of a GMD. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out using SPSS version 18.0. The mean, median and inter quartile ranges of the characteristics were determined and differences between the groups were analysed using Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Results showed significant difference between gender for the item “Conscious of professional ethics” (p=0.021). Significant differences were seen in the median scores between the graduates and the final year students in four out of six items for personal characteristic. Conclusion: Islamic input in the medical curriculum and the teaching of professionalism has an impact on graduate perception of characteristics of a GMD. Further improvement in the teaching of professionalism among undergraduates is necessary in order to promote greater impact on the understanding and internalization of characteristics of a GMD. The Islamic input in the medical curriculum can thus be regarded as the blueprint for PPD of medical undergraduates to become a GMD.

Mapping and assessment of personal and professional development skills in a pharmacy curriculum.

BackgroundHealth sciences programs are increasingly expanding their curricula to bridge foundational scientific knowledge with needed skills to practice and patient care. The primary objectives of this study are to 1) assess whether the personal and professional development (PPD) subdomains (self-assessment, leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship, and professionalism) are integrated in a pharmacy curriculum; and 2) identify any gaps related to the subdomains’ learning objectives.MethodsFour different mapping activities were completed to create a comprehensive mapping plan regarding the integration of the PPD subdomains in the curriculum. The first mapping activity entailed matching the school’s program educational outcomes (PEOs) to these subdomains (Step 1). Mapping of the enacted curriculum by faculty (Step 2) and learned curriculum by students (Step 3) were also completed in order to evaluate the integration of these subdomains in the curriculum. Finally, Step 4 involved mapping of the assessed curriculum by analyzing the progress of students on PPD-related competencies using standardized scoring rubrics and the correlation between students’ and facultys' assessments with regard to matching competencies. The Cochrane’s Q test and the Cohen’s kappa coefficient were used in the statistical analysis of parametric data.ResultsThe subdomains were found to be woven across curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities based on the four different mapping activities. Faculty and students agreed that the PPD competencies are integrated in the curriculum; provided example courses, experiences and activities; and identified areas of further improvements. The completed mapping activities drove the development of action plans for remediation of identified gaps in the curriculum.ConclusionMapping activities showed the sequential integration of the PPD skills at different depths and breadths in the curriculum. This study provides an example to health sciences schools on the incorporation of the PPD skills in their curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities as current accreditation standards have directed Pharmacy programs to integrate and enforce them in their curricula.

Family and systemic psychotherapists' experiences of personal therapeutic consultations as a tool for personal and professional development in training

This study investigated family therapists' experiences of personal therapeutic consultations during their training and how this related to personal and professional development (PPD). Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to analyse one semi‐structured interview with each of four participants. Results: The personal consultations provided a unique and powerful learning opportunity, including learning about the interactional elements of family therapy, therapeutic relationship factors and relational roles. The personal consultations also affected the lives of family members who attended, and in some cases, those who did not. The results raise several ethical considerations including, confusion about the boundary between the personal therapeutic consultations and family therapy, preparedness, and considerations about what we are asking of our families. It is argued that this is a valuable learning, training and PPD opportunity and should be repeated as long as attention is paid to the ethical points highlighted.Practitioner points Trainees' participation in personal therapeutic consultations with members of their own family may have a powerful effect on their learning and subsequent practice. Training institutions and future trainees should be aware of the affect that personal therapeutic consultations can have on relationships. Training institutions should consider personal therapeutic consultations as a tool for PPD as long as attention is paid to the ethical implications highlighted in this study.

Professional Conduct of Clinical Teachers: Perspectives of Medical Students

Introduction: Appropriate professional conduct of clinical teacher is vital in their medicine practice. In UKM medical centre Malaysia, personal and professional development (PPD) of future medical professionals is greatly emphasized. The objective of this study was to determine the medical students’ perception about the professional conduct of their clinical teachers at UKM medical centre. Methods: It was an online questionnaire survey conducted among the clinical students enquiring about the professional conduct of their clinical teachers. There were five statements and one open ended question which described students’ preference about PPD teaching-learning method, expectation on PPD session, need of teachers training and experience about the excellent and inappropriate professional conduct of clinical teachers. The open ended question described what students had observed regarding the ‘doctor-patient relationship’ medical ethics and ‘student-teacher relationship. A total of 77 questionnaires were returned after complete evaluation. The data were compiled and analysed using SPSS version 20 and the answers to the open ended questions were transcribed. Result: Role modelling was the preferred teaching-learning method for PPD as stated by 38% respondents; subsequent preferred methods were small group (30%), role play (24%), large group (7%) and reflective writing (1%). Majority (67.5%) respondents indicated that professional conduct of their clinical teachers was frequent enough as they had expected while 29.9% claimed that professional conduct was infrequently emphasized. Excellent professional conduct of clinical teachers was witnessed by 73% respondents while 27% indicated that they had never seen excellent conduct. When asked about inappropriate professional behaviours by clinical teachers, 53% indicated to have witnessed. Qualitative data also revealed both positive and negative experiences as reflected in open comments. According to 70% respondents clinical teachers required training to apply PPD in their daily practices. Conclusion: Professional conduct of clinical teachers as perceived by the students was excellent and frequents enough with experience of inappropriate behavior too. Role modeling was the preferred teaching method while attention needed on reflective assignment. Educators must emphasize on role modelling in their daily practices and curriculum planners should give due importance on training needs of clinical teachers to apply PPD in their daily practices

Dynamics in the Personal and Professional Development of Life-orientation Teachers in South Africa, Gauteng Province

KEYWORDS Life Orientation. Personal and Professional Teacher Development. Curriculum Reform. Teacher Support. Bio-Ecological ABSTRACT Worldwide schools are confronted with a myriad of contextual challenges such as teenage pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, poverty, substance abuse, child headed households, suicide, to mention a few. South Africa, a country that is yet to win the war against poverty and underdevelopment is not an exception. Life Orientation (LO) as a subject presents schools in South Africa with opportunities to empower young people with knowledge and life skills to make meaningful choices. Whist the Department of Basic Education in South Africa has developed a clearly set LO curriculum, which has well-defined outcomes; it is not clear whether their training as LO teacher s adequately equips them to deal with these multiple social issues affecting learners. The focus of this phenomenological study was to explore the dynamics in the Personal and Professional Development (PPD) of LO teachers in South Africa, in the Gauteng Province. Data were collected through nine individual interviews, two focus group interviews and two collages by participants from 14 districts within the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE). The findings suggested that the PPD of LO teachers was impeded by the fact that it did not address issues such as their personal experiences, their attitudes towards LO, the LO curriculum delivery, and the complex roles they play in dealing with challenging issues. Based on these findings recommendations are made on how to best address these dynamics through their PPD and how to best support LO teachers to ensure meaningful teaching of LO.

When should students learn about ethics, professionalism and patient safety?

Medical education curricula are required to teach ethics, professionalism and patient safety, but there is no clear evidence as to when these topics should be introduced. The Personal and Professional Development (PPD) theme incorporates these topics, and is integrated throughout our postgraduate medical programme, but we were particularly interested in knowing when and how to introduce them to year-1 students. We describe an intensive PPD programme in the context of broader issues associated with the appropriate timing of PPD curricula in a medical programme. The PPD Intensive was held over 2 days (267 students in 2008 and 299 in 2009). Attendance was mandatory. Teaching included a mixture of didactic, small group and interactive sessions. Students completed a formative case-based assessment and evaluation questionnaire. In response to questions about a patient narrative, many students focused on the health provider perspective, even when asked specifically to put themselves in the patient's position when answering questions about the case. Students showed a superficial understanding of patient safety factors, even those who were previous health professionals. The Intensive was evaluated highly, but from the perspective of faculty staff there were issues relating to timing and lack of clinical context to give real meaning and purpose to the basic concepts underpinning the learning areas. The Intensive was designed to demonstrate to students the importance of PPD. A counter position is that students lack the clinical context required for effective learning of PPD topic areas. We discuss these conflicting beliefs and the changes made to the Intensive programme in 2010. As a result of the lessons, we changed the 2010 Intensive programme to strongly emphasise professionalism; patient safety was moved to the later years.

Emotional intelligence assessment in a graduate entry medical school curriculum

BackgroundThe management of emotions in the workplace is a skill related to the ability to demonstrate empathic behaviour towards patients; to manage emotional reactions in oneself and to lead others as part of a team. This ability has been defined as emotional intelligence (EI) and doctor’s EI may be related to communication skills and to patient satisfaction levels. This study reports on the use of two assessments of EI as part of a course on Personal and Professional Development (PPD) in a graduate medical school curriculum.MethodsFifty one graduate entry medical students completed an eight session course on PPD between December 2005 and January 2006. Students completed two measures of EI: self-report (EQ-i) and ability (MSCEIT V2.0) over a two year study period. The data gathered were used to explore the relationship between self-report and ability EI and between EI and student demographics, academic performance and change over time.ResultsAnalysis of the EI data demonstrated that self-report EI did not change over time and was not related to ability EI. Females scored higher than males on a number of self-report and ability EI scores. Self-reported self-awareness was found to deteriorate in males and females over time. High self-reported EI was found to be associated with poor performance on clinical competency assessments but with good performance on a number of bio-medical knowledge based assessments.ConclusionsThis report concludes that assessments of EI can be incorporated into a medical school curriculum as part of a PPD programme and that the concept of EI may be associated with performance in medical school.

A Disquisition on Pluralism in Qualitative Methods: The Troublesome Case of a Critical Narrative Analysis

This article uses a research example as a case study of qualitative pluralism in practice to analyse issues involved. The case was a critical narrative analysis of interview data about clinical psychologists' Personal and Professional Development (PPD). The rationale for a pluralist methodology to address critical research questions is described. To examine participants' PPD in terms of the relationship between individual subjectivities, group identities and societal power relations, elements of IPA, Grounded Theory, DA, and critical deconstruction were combined within a narrative methodology. The pluralist project of multiperspectivity was endangered by the use of critical theory to impose interdependency between methods/levels of analysis. Philosophical errors disrupting the logic of justifiable conclusions were possible. More rigorous, critical reflexivity and thoughtfulness about “epistemological anarchism” (Feyerabend 1975) are needed. Added value (richness, integration, and capacity to consider more interesting and important research questions) nonetheless makes the case for pluralist methodologies strong in the context of research as wider social activity.