Implementing medical education curricula for self and group reflective practices within pre-clerkship

Endorsed in:

January, 2026

Paper Type:

Position Paper

Authors:

Alison Slade*

Trisha Chibber*

Jayhan Kherani*

*These authors contributed equally to this work.

Background:

The ability to critically reflect on one’s experience is integral to medical education and student well-being, yet it is not sufficiently emphasized in the current curricula of Ontario medical schools. It is known that the medical school application process requires conscious reflective practice in essay questions, auto-biographical sketches, and the introspective interview process. However, this strong precedent of reflection is not heavily emphasized throughout medical education beyond the application process. Although some medical schools have integrated reflective courses, the overall rigor of medical school is focused on clinical and academic assessments consequently minimizing building necessary reflexive skills. Equipping students with the skillset and desire to be reflective can have profound impacts on reduction of burnout, improved resilience, identification of personal strengths, and encouragement of cognitive reframing amidst adversity. To augment medical education, reflection must be prioritized at multiple system levels, including that of: each school’s independent curriculum, the Ontario Medical Students Association’s (OMSA) education portfolio, and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).

Recommendations:

The Ontario Medical Students Association recommends the following:

That MD programs across Ontario implement/maintain a mandatory curriculum in pre-clerkship years dedicated to reflective practice, centering around suggested key reflective principles
That MD programs across Ontario provide standardized training to reflection group tutors that complies with reflective curriculum guidelines and standards set by medical schools.
That OMSA’s education portfolio develop a representative group reflection handbook based on anecdotal evidence collected from Ontario medical students about their pre-clerkship experiences for medical schools to reference.
That the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada modify two CanMEDS enabling competencies related to reflection to better differentiate specific reflective skills from other competencies