Medical students’ perspectives of reflection for their professional development

Findings revealed that the most important aspect of reflection is the recognition and acceptance of individual identity, along with the metacognitive awareness of how to know, especially in the early years, and understanding the meaning of behaviors and relationships over time. Students explained the undeniable impact of reflection on individual and self-directed learning and the development of professional commitment during their studies. The findings of this study, specifically major themes from reflection culture narratives, provide us with a better understanding of the lack of a positive organizational atmosphere, inappropriate educational structure and intensive clinical rotations, as well as lack of trust between students and medical teachers, which negatively impact on or hinder professional development. It seems that by faculty development initiatives, mentoring, group reflection sessions, reflective practices can turn into an opportunity to improve the quality of education.