The Educational Role of Autonomy in Medical Training: A Scoping Review

Internal Medicine Residents’ Perceptions of the Learning Environment of a Residency Training Program in Ethiopia: a Mixed Methods Study

“…Autonomy in medical education can lead to improved decision-making skills, increased preparation for work independence, increased self-confidence, enhanced responsibility, satisfaction with work and reduced burnout. 22 A good teaching climate influences the standard of the learning process, 4,5 satisfaction with education, and determines the final outcome of the curriculum. 5,6 Similarly, the role of social support in a residency program is essential as it is needed to mitigate the effects of decreased sleep, excess stress, depression and burnout.…”

Scalpel Please! A Scoping Review Dissecting the Factors and Influences on Professional Identity Development of Trainees Within Surgical Programs

“…Transitioning to a higher level of training is correlated with higher levels of autonomy, namely in terms of operative skills, which are of paramount importance in surgery. Increased autonomy was found to be associated with increased confidence, preparedness, and better decision-making, as well as acting as a facilitator for professional identity development [ 22 ]. However, it has been highlighted that there needs to be a balance between the need for autonomy and demands for supervision and maintaining a high level of patient safety [ 28 ].…”

Autonomy and developing physicians: Reimagining supervision using self‐determination theory

“…The notion of a simple inverse relationship extends into the medical education literature, where concerns about increasing supervision have prompted studies exploring the association between levels of supervision and perceptions of learner autonomy. Within a large scoping review on the educational role of autonomy, autonomy was defined as ‘one who functions independently or without supervision’ 11 . However, studies examining the relationship between supervision and autonomy demonstrate conflicting evidence about the relationship between supervision and autonomy 11 .…”

“…That development, known as professional identity formation (PIF), happens at both an individual, psychological level, as well as a collective, sociological level, and is characterised by the conscious and unconscious acquisition of values and norms of the profession gained through experience, role models and mentors 6,7 . Autonomy has long been studied in conjunction with the development of physicians in training, linking learner autonomy with increased learner confidence, improved clinical decision‐making skills, increased sense of patient responsibility and ownership, increased readiness of independent practice and an enhanced development of professional identity 8‐12 . Within the clinical learning environment, autonomy provides opportunities for learners to make ‘real’ decisions for patient care, facilitating the development of confidence in clinical decision making and responsibility for patient care 8 .…”

“…6,7 Autonomy has long been studied in conjunction with the development of physicians in training, linking learner autonomy with increased learner confidence, improved clinical decision-making skills, increased sense of patient responsibility and ownership, increased readiness of independent practice and an enhanced development of professional identity. [8][9][10][11][12] Within the clinical learning environment, autonomy provides opportunities for learners to make 'real' decisions for patient care, facilitating the development of confidence in clinical decision making and responsibility for patient care. 8 Alternatively, decreased autonomy can foster feelings of ambivalence in learners leading to decreased feelings of responsibility along with a decreased sense of 'professional becoming' due to decreased opportunity to take on the role of physician.…”