[Approach to the hidden curriculum through narrative medicine in the training of medical students]

Arch Argent Pediatr. 2020 Aug;118(4):290-294. doi: 10.5546/aap.2020.290.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Introduction: Hidden curricula are those contents learned that do not belong to the formal curriculum. Narrative medicine allows knowledge of health professionals' experiences. Approaching to the hidden curriculum can allow modifying or reinforcing instances of the nonformal learning.

Objective: Analyze narrative medical students' productions to identify hidden curriculum contents.

Population and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with Pediatric students during 2017.

Results: All the students of the course (14) participated and performed 50 narrative productions: 53 % corresponded to the hospitalization context, 17 % to ambulatory care, 17 % to the emergency center and 13 % to neonatology. The main topics described were doctor-patient communication, importance of family inclusion in the pediatric consultation, empathy, impact of chronic disease in children and communication of bad news.

Conclusions: Narrative productions allowed an approximation to the hidden curriculum through reflections on professional actions.

Introducción. Currículum oculto son aquellos contenidos aprendidos que no pertenecen al currículum formal. La medicina narrativa permite conocer las experiencias de profesionales de la salud. Aproximarse al currículum oculto permitiría modificar o reforzar instancias de aprendizaje no formal. Objetivo. Analizar producciones narrativas de estudiantes de Medicina para identificar contenidos del currículum oculto. Población y métodos. Estudio de corte transversal con estudiantes de la materia Pediatría durante 2017. Resultados. Los 14 estudiantes de una cursada realizaron 50 narraciones. El 53 % correspondieron al contexto internación; el 17%, a atención ambulatoria; el 17 %, a la central de emergencias, y el 13 %, a neonatología. Los principales contenidos fueron comunicación médico-paciente, inclusión de la familia en la consulta pediátrica, empatia, enfermedad crónica en los niños y comunicación de malas noticias. Conclusiones. Las producciones narrativas permitieron aproximarse al currículum oculto a través de reflexiones sobre el accionar profesional.

Keywords: hidden curriculum; medical education; medical students; narrative medicine; pediatrics.

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Curriculum*
  • Education, Medical / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Narrative Medicine
  • Pediatrics / education*
  • Students, Medical*