Evaluation of Perceptions about Medical Educator and Medical Student through Metaphors

Abstract

Objective: In the study, it was aimed to reveal the mental images of faculty members in different medical faculties regarding the concept of medical educator and medical student through metaphors.Methods: A total of 248 faculty members from five different faculties participated in this qualitative research in phenomenology design. The data were collected with a questionnaire form. Faculty members were asked to describe the medical educator and student with a metaphor and to state the reason for the metaphor they used. The research was conducted on a voluntary basis. Content analysis was made on the metaphors. Ethics committee approval was obtained for the study.Results: Faculty members produced 134 medical educator metaphors. These metaphors were grouped under nine conceptual categories; "source/transmitter of information"; "shaper"; "raiser/ feeder/grower"; "guiding/inspiring"; "professional"; "altruist/ altruistic/developing identity"; "role model"; "counselor" and "scary" medical educator. One hundred and twenty-nine metaphors developed for medical student were collected under seven categories. The categories of medical students were "recipient/reflector of knowledge", "the constructor/transformer of knowledge", growing/developing, "processed/valued", "working/making effort", "discoverer" and "negatively connotating".Conclusion: It was observed that "traditional" understanding was dominant about learning and teaching among all the medical faculties. Medical educators continue to maintain their traditional educator-centered understanding, despite the paradigmatic transformation in medical education.