ArticleBMC medical education2026
Forging physician-scientist professional identity: the roles of integration, relationships, and boundary crossing in training.
Article in BMC medical education, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Motivating Medical Innovators: A Qualitative COM-B Analysis of Physician-Scientists Engagement in Biomedical Advancement in Chinese Academic Medical Centers.Advances in medical education and practice · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundProfessional identity formation is acknowledged to be vital in the training of physicians. There are several theories about the importance and development of professional identity in physicians, but little is known about the development of professional identity in dual-degree physician-scientist trainees. It is unclear which elements are important in physician-scientist trainees’ professional identity creation.
methodsWe performed in-depth, semi-structured interviews with individuals currently enrolled in or recently graduated from an MD/PhD program. We used phenomenologically informed thematic approach to identify, categorize, and relate factors influencing participants’ experiences of professional identity formation.
resultsTwenty current students and recent alumni completed interviews in 2025. Two major themes of influences on professional identity were identified: (1) the need to achieve an integrated view of clinical and research practices and contexts and (2) the importance of a network of relationships to help navigate the boundaries and tensions between clinical and research roles. Subthemes of the second domain included specific relational types: meaningful relationships with other established physician-scientists, relationships with classmates, and the influence of PhD advisors.
conclusionsThe first theme—integration of clinical and research activities—is distinct from physician professional identity formation and involves “boundary crossing” between physician and scientist professional identities. The second theme (and subthemes) regarding importance of relationships for navigating boundary crossing fit existing social-contextual theories of professional identity formation in physicians. These themes provide areas for further exploration and highlight the need to intentionally build opportunities for professional identity formation into physician-scientist training.
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Registered trials
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