Adding the Namibian Voice to the Professional Identity Conversation: Using Narrative Interviews to Explore Professional Identity in Namibian Veterinary Students

Abstract A well-developed professional identity is an essential component of professional well-being and sustainable practice. Emerging research demonstrates that identity formation and dissonance are perceived, constructed, and managed differently in different global contexts, and yet veterinary curricula intended to support professional identity formation (PIF) and assist students encountering identity dissonance often remain rooted in research from white, Western cultures. This project aims to explore veterinary students’ PIF in Namibia, a highly multicultural and multilingual context, and to identify meaningful experiences contributing to PIF in this region, including the ways that dissonance contributes to this process. Narrative inquiry was utilized to capture relevant experiences of all final-year veterinary students in one cohort at the sole veterinary school in Namibia. Prior experiences of poor animal welfare, cultural influences that foster a desire to “give back,” and instances of academic challenge that reinforced motivation and a sense of purpose (being proud to join the veterinary profession) all contributed to PIF. Dissonance was not found in situations of differing client values; indeed, these evoked empathy and a desire to help. Instead, dissonance arose from perceived academic underperformance and criticism from clinician-educators. Coping mechanisms included well-developed empathy and reflective skills and support from family. These findings widen the conceptualization of meaningful PIF experiences and prompt educators to acknowledge that identity and dissonance observations may not be globally and cultural transferable. This has implications for curriculum design and scaffolding of PIF for educators of diverse and international student cohorts.