Research On Clinical Medical Students’ Professional Identity Based On Salience Hierarchy

Objective In recent decades, the rapid pace of population aging leads to the demand growth of medical service, which results in large needs of human resource in healthcare industry, but the absence of security system for doctors becomes the obstacle for human resource to flowing into healthcare industry. In this research, structure and level of professional identity of clinical medical students are the objects. The correlation between salience hierarchy and professional identity is also included in the research. Starting from the practical problems, we analyze the problems existing in the medical students’ professional identity, find out the current medical humanities education structure is unreasonable, understand medical students’ perceptions of the medical and health care system, and put forward reform proposals.Methods This research adopted the method that combined qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the professional identity of clinical medical students from Henan University. 10 students were semi-structured interviewed, after which the questionnaire to clinical medical students was established according to the key propositions, other studies and the results of qualitative research. A pre-survey was put into effect to analyze and select the original items, and test the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. In this research, statistical methods such as statistical description, item analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis, t-test, analysis of variance, correlation and multiple linear regression were adopted. Formation and reengineering of clinical medical students’ professional identity were concluded with results of qualitative and quantity.Results According to the interview results, career choice, professional emotion and professional expectation were outstanding. On the career choice, the reasons to choose doctor as profession were diverse. Work stability, good treatment, high social status, challenging, to serve others and benefit mankind can become why they choose the doctor as career. The proficiency of medical knowledge was the key to the formation of professional identity. Medical students’ understanding of the human-body issue and organs-system work was deepened step by step. To differentiate themselves with the public, they improved social skills and sense of social responsibilities. More positive evaluation, the arrival of the aging wave, and ever-increasing medical service, would bring better job in the future. The correlation between saliencehierarchy and professional identity was found from the interviewees’ identities with their sequence. Medical student’s placeholder is high in the salience hierarchy. Interviewees who put medical student in high rank had more positive expressions such as optimistic, willing, lofty, happy, great, noble, proud, contribution in the interview.Secondly, the questionnaire establishment was made from literature research and interview record after the specification of key issue of salience hierarchy. Beside basic information, 6 dimensions were in the questionnaire, motive, cognitive, support, affection, anticipation and will. After a preset check, the item discrimination, correlation, reliability and validity were examined. The overall degree of differentiation was high(P < 0.05), and each item score and total score showed a high correlation(P < 0.05), that most of the correlation coefficients were beyond 0.3. KMO value was 0.829, which indicated there were many common factors between variables. The value of ?2 in Bartlett ball test was 2305.168(?= 780, P < 0.05), statically significant, showed that the structure validity of the questionnaire was high. Cronbach’s alpha of professional identity was 0.947, motive 0.822, cognition 0.740, support 0.745, affection 0.777, anticipation 0.737, will 0.690.In the results of statistical analysis, the average score of professional identity of the sample was 4.240, obtained by Likert 5 scale, motive 4.207, cognition 4.208, support 4.203, affection 4.266, anticipation 4.200, will 4.324. The differences in professional identity and each dimension of the items single-parent family, medical student cadres, party member, relatives, grade, location, and professional choice were statistically significant(P < 0.05). Grade, party member, and parents’ choice have high correlation with professional identity and all dimensions, according to the results of regression analysis. Average score of the 8 items of salience hierarchy key issue was 4.276( SD= 0.644), which had little difference with that of professional identity. Meanwhile, the correlation coefficient of key issue and professional identity as well as all the dimensions were high(P < 0.05).Conclusions After the above analysis, three conclusions were obtained: first, the level of clinical medical students’ professional identity rise since grade 3 after 2-year decrease. Second, salience hierarchy is a factor influencing medical students’ professional identity. Third, there are obvious process in the formation and reconstitution of clinical medical students’ professional identity.