Medical students’ experiential learning on social determinants of health: a constructivist qualitative study

Background In addressing health disparities, it is crucial to train doctors who can understand the social contexts of their patients. While experiential learning has been shown to enhance medical students’ understanding of Social Determinants of Health (SDH), few studies have examined its impact on...

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Veröffentlicht in:BMC medical education Jg. 25; H. 1; S. 771 - 12
Hauptverfasser: Ge, Yurong, Ariga, Makie, Takeda, Yuko
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: London BioMed Central 26.05.2025
BioMed Central Ltd
Springer Nature B.V
BMC
Schlagworte:
Beliefs, opinions and attitudes
Cognitive Structures
Community
Community Resources
Consciousness
Constructivist theory
Cooperative Learning
Core curriculum
Course Content
Curriculum Development
Data Analysis
Economic Factors
Education
Education, Medical, Undergraduate - methods
Educational aspects
Educational research
Elective Courses
Experiential learning
Female
Foreign Nationals
Health
Health disparities
Humans
Knowledge
Kolb’s experiential learning theory
Learner Engagement
Learning Processes
Learning Theories
Male
Medical Education
Medical practices
Medical students
Methods Research
Personal development
Problem-Based Learning - methods
Qualitative Research
Reflection
Research Design
Seminars
Social aspects
Social Determinants of Health
Social Environment
Social exclusion
Social Experience
Social Problems
Social Responsibility
Students, Medical - psychology
Thematic analysis
Theory of Medicine/Bioethics
Japan
Social determinants of health
Kolb’s experiential learning theory
Constructivist theory
Thematic analysis
ISSN:1472-6920, 1472-6920
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Zusammenfassung:Background In addressing health disparities, it is crucial to train doctors who can understand the social contexts of their patients. While experiential learning has been shown to enhance medical students’ understanding of Social Determinants of Health (SDH), few studies have examined its impact on students’ cognitive, emotional, and personal growth. This study aims to explore how experiential learning influences medical students’ understanding of SDH and fosters growth in cognition, emotion, and social responsibility. Methods Since 2015, an 8-week elective course at Juntendo University School of Medicine has aimed to help third-year students understand SDH through direct engagement with marginalized groups. Using a constructivist thematic analysis approach, we analyzed reports from 33 students and collaborative videos from 2015 to 2021. Results The analysis revealed five key themes: (1) Awareness of social issues, (2) Changes in personal perspectives, (3) A deeper understanding of SDH, (4) Exploration of future roles and actions, and (5) Personal growth through experiential learning and reflection. Conclusion Experiential learning led to significant emotional and cognitive shifts, enhancing students’ understanding of how social factors affect health and strengthening their sense of social responsibility. However, students also expressed complex emotional reactions to social inequalities. Future research should explore how to convert these insights into long-term behavioral changes and enhance the integration of reflection and collaborative learning in medical education.
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ISSN:1472-6920
1472-6920
DOI:10.1186/s12909-025-07312-6