Research project Learning what it means To Be Strong- in Medical Education
“Be strong!.” This is an advice many medical students often encounter during their education. But what does it actually mean to be resilient – and how can it be learned in environments shaped by pressure, hierarchy, and emotional demands? This PhD project explores how resilience is understood, experienced, and shaped in medical education.
What if resilience isn’t what we think it is? While burnout and mental health struggles rise, many resilience training programs still rely on shallow coping strategies, ignoring deeper sociocultural and institutional challenges that shape students’ ability to adapt and thrive. Medical students are often told to “be resilient” but rarely taught what that really means- or how to develop in in the face of relentless pressure, hierarchical cultures and emotional strain.
This research investigates how resilience is defined and experienced by medical students and educators, examining the hidden dynamics, emotional demands, hierarchical traditions and social expectations that influence its development. The goal is to move beyond vague buzzwords and redesign resilience as a teachable, context driven capacity, one that is embedded in how we educate, mentor, and support future physicians. By reimaging resilience in this way, the study hopes to help build healthier learning environments that support future doctors not just academically but emotionally and ethically.
Project title: Teaching the Real Face of Resilience: Reconceptualizing Adaptability in Medical Education
Project members
Project managers
Najoua Amélia Laajab
Doktorand
