Confronting the “hidden curriculum” in medical school

01/21/21 • 15 min

Sound Mind: conversations about physician wellness and medical culture

“To me, the hidden curriculum is the little things — the off-side comments, the facial expressions. It’s trying to breed a certain type of physician, in a culture that says physicians should be infallible.” – Alexandra Morra, 4th year medical student

From the cafeteria to the clinic, medical students pick up many unspoken messages about physician attitudes and behaviour. Today, this “hidden curriculum” is increasingly under scrutiny for the signals it sends about the pressures of medicine and seeking help. In this episode, fourth year medical student Alexandra Morra talks about her experience with the “hidden curriculum”, and Dr. Caroline Gérin-Lajoie speaks with Dr. Geneviève Moineau, CEO of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, about how medical schools are confronting the issue.

Want to learn more about physician wellness? Visit the CMA Physician Wellness Hub for curated, clinically-based tools, resources, and research on all the topics covered in this podcast.

Want to learn more about physician wellness? Visit the CMA Physician Wellness Hub for curated, clinically-based tools, resources, and research on all the topics covered in this podcast.

Previous Episode

The special stress of residency

“If we have a system where asking for help is not a normal part of medical training, it creates this perception that if you’re struggling and need help, it’s a weakness.” – Dr. Stephanie Klein

Statistics reveal that burnout, depression and suicidal ideation are at a peak during residency, compared to any other time in a physician's career. Why is residency such a difficult time and how can we ensure people get the support they need?
In this episode, Dr. Caroline Gérin-Lajoie speaks with Dr. Stephanie Klein about losing her twin brother to suicide, just as he was beginning his residency, and the wellness program she created specifically for residents, in response.

Want to learn more about physician wellness? Visit the CMA Physician Wellness Hub for curated, clinically-based tools, resources, and research on all the topics covered in this podcast.

This episode is available in English only.

Next Episode

Battling physician burnout

"We aren’t actually part of normal society, not anymore. Medicine does something to us. It teaches us another language, one only other doctors can understand. Eventually it scripts our emotions, neutralizing them whenever they threaten to overwhelm our senses.” – Dr. Jillian Horton
Dr. Jillian Horton is an internist and award-winning medical educator, and a writer and expert on physician health. Yet like more than one-quarter of physicians, she has struggled with severe burnout.
Her new book, We Are All Perfectly Fine, chronicles her personal journey to overcome it.
In this episode, Dr. Jillian Horton talks candidly with Dr. Caroline Gérin-Lajoie about her book and the themes it addresses:

the flawed system that shapes medical professionals,
the rarely acknowledged stresses and trauma that lead many physicians to burnout,
her own quest to rediscover the joy and meaning in medicine.

Want to learn more about physician wellness? Visit the CMA Physician Wellness Hub for curated, clinically-based tools, resources, and research on all the topics covered in this podcast.

Sound Mind: conversations about physician wellness and medical culture - Confronting the “hidden curriculum” in medical school

Transcript

Episode Three
Confronting the "hidden curriculum" in medical school

Caroline Gérin‐Lajoie:

Welcome to "Sound Mind," a podcast about physician wellness and medical culture. I'm your host, Dr. Caroline Gerin‐Lajoie.

The idea of a hidden curriculum is not new. This concept of unspoken expectations around behavior and attitudes within educational systems has been around since the 1960’s. In medical school, the hidden curriculum is now u