Belongingness in undergraduate medical student placements: an international comparison study

Abstract

Abstract Background Belongingness has been proposed as a potential proxy for legitimate peripheral participation in medical education. Previous studies have shown good internal and external validity for tools designed to measure this variable, with potential use measuring the effectiveness of clinical teaching environments. This study examined changes in belongingness in medical students between 2019 and 2021 during covid related restrictions, and compared levels of belongingness in medical students in Belgium and the United Kingdom. Methods This study used a validated assessment tool that was self-administered via an online survey platform. Anonymised data was collected from undergraduate medical students from all years of training and results compared with previous data collected in 2019. Results The belongingness assessment tool described here good internal and external validity in undergraduate medical students in United Kingdom and Belgium, identified statistically significant changes in Belongingness (as measured with this tool) in undergraduate medical students during Covid restrictions and identified statistically significant differences between medical students in Belgium and the United Kingdom. Conclusions These results suggest that belongingness in in undergraduate medical students fluctuates and varies both between different demographic groups and under different conditions. The ability to measure this key facet of educational development has potential to monitor teaching environments to ensure optimal learning conditions for all students.