title: The Heroic and the Villainous: a qualitative study characterising the role models that shaped senior doctors' professional identity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The successful development and sustaining of professional identity is critical to being a successful doctor. This study explores the enduring impact of significant early role models on the professional identity formation of senior doctors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Personal Interview Narratives were derived from the stories told by twelve senior doctors as they recalled accounts of people and events from the past that shaped their notions of being a doctor. Narrative inquiry methodology was used to explore and analyse video recording and transcript data from interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Role models were frequently characterised as heroic, or villainous depending on whether they were perceived as good or bad influences respectively. The degree of sophistication in participants' characterisations appeared to correspond with the stage of life of the participant at the time of the encounter. Heroes were characterised as attractive, altruistic, caring and clever, often in exaggerated terms. Conversely, villains were typically characterised as direct or covert bullies. Everyday events were surprisingly powerful, emotionally charged and persisted in participants' memories much longer than expected. In particular, unresolved emotions dating from encounters where bullying behaviour had been witnessed or experienced were still apparent decades after the event.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The characterisation of role models is an important part of the professional identity and socialisation of senior doctors. The enduring impact of what role models say and do means that all doctors, need to consistently reflect on how their own behaviour impacts the development of appropriate professional behaviours in both students and training doctors. This is especially important where problematic behaviours occur as, if not dealt with, they have the potential for long-lasting undesirable effects. The importance of small acts of caring in building a nurturing and supportive learning atmosphere at all stages of medical education cannot be underestimated.
authors.affiliation: Medical Education and International Health, Sydney Medical School - Northern, Kolling Institute and Office for Global Health, University of Sydney, Level 7 Kolling Building, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, Sydney, New South Wales, 2065, Australia. kirsty.foster@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Kirsty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.affiliation: Medical Education and Primary Care, Sydney Medical School- Northern, Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D058445:Bullying; D004501:Education, Medical; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D008611:Mentors / Q000523:psychology*; D033262:Narration; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011361:Professional Competence; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012933:Social Identification; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013663:Teaching / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Clinical education; Emotion; Narrative analysis; Professional identity; Reflection on behaviour; Role model