Medical students are constantly molding and reshaping their sense of identity in response to multiple internal and external forces coupled with their evolving understanding of what it means to be a physician. It is normal for students to struggle with their professional identity at any given point in time during their educational journey. Much of the identity work that takes place during medical school takes occurs through the informal processes embedded within the hidden curriculum. In this setting, students are told one thing in the formal learning setting while observing something completely different in the clinical environment. This juxtaposition contributes to identity conflict, particularly if a student is trying to be accountable to multiple influences that don’t align.
With this in mind, helping medical learners explore their professional identity formation (PIF) is a central responsibility in medical education. To facilitate this, we have adapted the use of mask making in the specific context of examining PIF in medical education. Human beings are biologically conditioned to respond to faces. Masks, therefore, evolve from a longstanding and fundamental human need to explore meaning and belonging, navigate transitions and ensure survival. As such, the act of mask making represents both process (constructing the mask) and product (the mask itself). Mask-making, therefore, is a unique modality to foster reflective expression and professional growth.
Totally agree!