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Abstract
Objectives To explore and compare the perspectives of junior doctors in Brazil and Ireland regarding transition and professional socialisation during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the purpose of identifying better ways to support doctors as they assume their new professional role.
Design 27 semistructured interviews. Transcripts were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. Cruess’ framework of professional socialisation in medicine supported the interpretation of these data.
Setting Public health hospitals across four Brazilian states (Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Ceará, Paraíba) and County Cork in the South of Ireland.
Participants Twenty-seven male and female medical junior doctors who had graduated between November 2019 and April 2020.
Results Fourteen Brazilian and 13 Irish junior doctors were interviewed for this study. Entry to clinical practice during the pandemic had a significant impact on factors influencing the professional socialisation of junior doctors. This impact was reflected across the following six thematic areas: lack of preparedness; disrupted trajectory of role adaptation; fewer opportunities for experiential learning; solidarity and isolation; altered interactions with patients; challenges to health and well-being.
Conclusions Transition to clinical practice is an important stage in junior doctors’ professional socialisation and identity formation. The COVID-19 pandemic created the opportunity for medical graduates to enter the workforce earlier than usual. Entering the workforce during this period created a lack of confidence among junior doctors concerning the boundaries of their new role and responsibilities, while simultaneously disrupting their social integration. Priorities to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and future pandemics on this transition are presented.
- education & training (see medical education & training)
- general medicine (see internal medicine)
- medical education & training
Data availability statement
Data are available upon reasonable request. All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information. Data are available upon reasonable request. All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplemental information. The data including relevant quotations are contained within the manuscript file. Raw data are stored on an encrypted, secure University network and can be reproduced upon request.
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- education & training (see medical education & training)
- general medicine (see internal medicine)
- medical education & training
Data availability statement
Data are available upon reasonable request. All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information. Data are available upon reasonable request. All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplemental information. The data including relevant quotations are contained within the manuscript file. Raw data are stored on an encrypted, secure University network and can be reproduced upon request.
Supplementary materials
Supplementary Data
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Footnotes
Contributors CO’T and EM developed the premise of the work. CO’T, ED, JD and VZ developed the interview guide, recruited participants and collected the data. CO’T, ED, EM, JW and VZ completed the data analysis. CO’T, EM, JW and PO’L wrote the first draft of the article. All authors edited and commented on multiple drafts of this article and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
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