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Abstract

Purpose. Feelings of uncertainty about one’s professional identity are experienced regularly by those training to be healthcare providers, but the inability to cope with these feelings can be associated with negative outcomes for both students and patients. Medical school is an important time when future physicians must learn to tolerate feelings of internal (personal) and external (patient) uncertainty. We present the impact of a novel pediatric psycho-oncology and narrative medicine elective on medical students’ ability to cope with—and embrace—feelings of uncertainty in their education. Methods. Third- and fourth-year medical students on a 2-week elective rotation were tasked with structuring their own time as they shadowed pediatric oncology patients, keeping a narrative of their experiences. A retrospective qualitative analysis of 120 student journals was performed to identify recurrent themes within the narratives. Results. Students often initially described feelings of intrusiveness and awkwardness as they were thrust into a new role, as well as a sense of helplessness as they watched the struggles of cancer patients unfold from the bedside. Ultimately, however, these negative emotions evolved into feelings of empathy as they learned to understand a patient’s unique story and struggles. Narratives demonstrated that students were able to make meaning of their uncertainty by adopting new perspectives and behaviors to support patients and their families. Discussion. Thematic analysis of narratives revealed that placing medical students in an unstructured clinical situation focused on humanistic care was an effective strategy for learning to cope with uncertainty.

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