Medical Students’ Sense of Belonging in Patient Care Settings: A Multi-institutional Qualitative Study

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-14-2025

Publication Title

Medical Science Educator

Abstract

Introduction: Sense of belonging is described by Anant as a “personal and contextually mediated experience.” For medical students, their personal characteristics, patient care settings, and interactions with healthcare team members inform their perception of belonging. Students are designated as members of healthcare teams; however, feeling a sense of belonging, while necessary to achieve self-actualization, is not automatic. This study explored senior medical students’ sense of belonging in patient care settings, specifically in their interactions with team members. Methods: In this qualitative study, investigators conducted focus groups with senior medical students at six institutions between February and May 2022. Investigators collected anonymous responses to reflective open-ended questions and demographics from participants at the close of each focus group. Author teams iteratively coded transcripts and written responses to generate themes. Results: Students’ sense of belonging was influenced by interactions with team members that acknowledged shared experiences of stress and suffering, prioritized connection with team members, delineated expectations of students, and supported student autonomy, along with other contributors like physical spaces and team member characteristics. Discussion: This study explores interactions supporting medical students’ sense of belonging in patient care settings. Results highlight the previously underreported contributions that collectively shared experiences of stress and suffering have on medical student belongingness. Participants’ descriptions of experiences that promoted their sense of belonging form the basis for strategies to support a sense of belonging for medical students. These strategies may allow busy clinical teams to positively impact medical student belongingness.

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