Hunting for identity: Scavenger hunts for student orientation

At our medical school, a small group of direct clinical entry (DCE) students join in year 3. These students have studied another degree, transferred from another UK institution or arrived from overseas. They miss out on earlier inductions, social events and shared experiences that help peers form connections. Previous feedback highlighted feelings of isolation and difficulty integrating into established cohorts. While fostering social bonds is important, integration also requires alignment with institutional values and identity. If students view their new environment as inclusive and see themselves reflected in that inclusivity, they are more likely to feel they belong. Scavenger hunts are commonly used for campus familiarisation and peer interaction.1 We reasoned that, if adapted, they could also introduce students to institutional identity and values. Our research suggested this had not been attempted previously, making the approach novel and particularly relevant for mid-entry students. The hunt included six stops across campus and clinical sites, each chosen to highlight inclusion relating to race, gender or equity. Thirty-three DCE students participated in teams of 3–5, completing the hunt in 11–25 minutes. Afterwards, students received a debrief linking each stop to the value of inclusion. Evaluation consisted of observational field notes, a quantitative survey with Likert-scale items (bonding, location familiarity, inclusion) and optional free-text responses. In addition to observing behavioural markers of engagement (e.g. celebratory gestures such as high-fives), quantitative data showed that all students agreed or strongly agreed that the activity supported bonding and improved familiarity with key locations, with all agreeing it helped them ‘learn about the diverse history, people and values that shape the institution’. A minority (33%) reported brief dips in motivation, but this did not detract from their overall engagement or the benefits they described. Students described the activity as ‘a structured, non-intimidating way to get to know my new surroundings and peers’, highlighting that it was ‘fun’ and that the narrative at the end was ‘very good’. Jenny Blythe: Conceptualization; writing—original draft; writing—review and editing; project administration; methodology. Leila Saeed: Writing—review and editing; project administration. Safiya Virji: Writing—review and editing; project administration; data curation; methodology. No Funding related to this publication. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.