Pediatric Physicians’ Perceptions of Their Professional Identity as Medical Educators

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Abstract

This study explores how senior physicians perceive their professional identity as medical educators. While physicians' identity as medical experts is cultivated, their identity as educators is often overlooked and rarely regarded as integral to a physician's career trajectory. Through concept mapping interviews with 11 leading pediatric physicians, we found that nearly half did not consider "Educator" a core role, often associating it with undesirable hierarchies. The concept of "Identity" also remained elusive, often viewed as separate from professional life. We argue that overlooking the development of an educator's identity hinders physician engagement and professional growth. Our research calls for formal training programs to bridge the gap between medical and educational roles, fostering a holistic professional identity for medical educators.

Authors

• Livat Eshchar-Netz, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

• Tali Aderet-German, Independent Researcher

• Dafna Meitar, Mandel Leadership Institute

• Daniella Magen, Technion Israel Institute of Technology