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Medical students as agents of change: A qualitative study of medical students' self-governance.

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Title: Medical students as agents of change: A qualitative study of medical students' self-governance.
Authors: Mizumoto, Junki1,2 (AUTHOR) jnk_mizu@keio.jp, Fujikawa, Hirohisa3 (AUTHOR)
Source: Medical Teacher. Jun2026, Vol. 48 Issue 6, p994-1003. 10p.
Subject Terms: *School environment, *Qualitative research, *Interprofessional relations, *Health occupations students, *Confidence, *Ability, *Professional employee training, *Clinical competence, *Psychology of medical students, *Student attitudes, *Learning strategies, *Training, Clinical medicine, Teams in the workplace, Self-efficacy, Research funding, Leadership, Interviewing, Negotiation, Responsibility, Patient advocacy, Judgment sampling, Descriptive statistics, Sound recordings, Thematic analysis, Organizational change, Patient-professional relations, Stakeholder analysis
Geographic Terms: Japan
Abstract: Introduction: Medical schools are often characterized by rigid hierarchical structures that may suppress student voices. Student governments provide an avenue for students to represent their peers, influence institutional policies, and foster personal and professional development. This study aims to reveal how participation in self-governance shapes students' attitudes, skills, and orientations toward change within their educational environments. Methods: This qualitative study recruited current executive members and recent graduates who had served in the Japan Association for Medical Student Societies (Igakuren), the only nationally elected medical student body in Japan. Participants were identified through email invitations, personal networks, and official meetings. The first author conducted in-depth online interviews, which were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed via a thematic analysis using a framework approach. Results: A total of 21 medical students and doctors participated in the study. A thematic analysis identified four main themes: learning through everyday negotiations; advocacy and empowerment; cooperation and interaction; and contribution to professional development. Discussion: Student self-governance cultivates medical students' self-efficacy, leadership, and professional development. Participants acquired key competencies by recognizing systemic issues, collaborating with diverse stakeholders, and leading initiatives for change—demonstrating the principles of Freire's problem-posing education. For health professions education to be genuinely student-centered, faculty and institutional leaders must support and engage in equitable, respectful dialogue with students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Medical Teacher is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: Medical students as agents of change: A qualitative study of medical students' self-governance.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mizumoto%2C+Junki%22">Mizumoto, Junki</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> jnk_mizu@keio.jp</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fujikawa%2C+Hirohisa%22">Fujikawa, Hirohisa</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Medical+Teacher%22">Medical Teacher</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 48 Issue 6, p994-1003. 10p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+environment%22">School environment</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Qualitative+research%22">Qualitative research</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interprofessional+relations%22">Interprofessional relations</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+occupations+students%22">Health occupations students</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Confidence%22">Confidence</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ability%22">Ability</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professional+employee+training%22">Professional employee training</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Clinical+competence%22">Clinical competence</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychology+of+medical+students%22">Psychology of medical students</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+attitudes%22">Student attitudes</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+strategies%22">Learning strategies</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Training%22">Training</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Clinical+medicine%22">Clinical medicine</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teams+in+the+workplace%22">Teams in the workplace</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self-efficacy%22">Self-efficacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Leadership%22">Leadership</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interviewing%22">Interviewing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Negotiation%22">Negotiation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Responsibility%22">Responsibility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Patient+advocacy%22">Patient advocacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Judgment+sampling%22">Judgment sampling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sound+recordings%22">Sound recordings</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thematic+analysis%22">Thematic analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Organizational+change%22">Organizational change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Patient-professional+relations%22">Patient-professional relations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stakeholder+analysis%22">Stakeholder analysis</searchLink>
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  Data: Introduction: Medical schools are often characterized by rigid hierarchical structures that may suppress student voices. Student governments provide an avenue for students to represent their peers, influence institutional policies, and foster personal and professional development. This study aims to reveal how participation in self-governance shapes students' attitudes, skills, and orientations toward change within their educational environments. Methods: This qualitative study recruited current executive members and recent graduates who had served in the Japan Association for Medical Student Societies (Igakuren), the only nationally elected medical student body in Japan. Participants were identified through email invitations, personal networks, and official meetings. The first author conducted in-depth online interviews, which were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed via a thematic analysis using a framework approach. Results: A total of 21 medical students and doctors participated in the study. A thematic analysis identified four main themes: learning through everyday negotiations; advocacy and empowerment; cooperation and interaction; and contribution to professional development. Discussion: Student self-governance cultivates medical students' self-efficacy, leadership, and professional development. Participants acquired key competencies by recognizing systemic issues, collaborating with diverse stakeholders, and leading initiatives for change—demonstrating the principles of Freire's problem-posing education. For health professions education to be genuinely student-centered, faculty and institutional leaders must support and engage in equitable, respectful dialogue with students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Medical Teacher is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/0142159X.2025.2603352
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 10
        StartPage: 994
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: School environment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Qualitative research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interprofessional relations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health occupations students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Confidence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Professional employee training
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Clinical competence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychology of medical students
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      – SubjectFull: Student attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Learning strategies
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      – SubjectFull: Training
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      – SubjectFull: Clinical medicine
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      – SubjectFull: Teams in the workplace
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      – SubjectFull: Self-efficacy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
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      – SubjectFull: Leadership
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      – SubjectFull: Interviewing
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      – SubjectFull: Negotiation
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      – SubjectFull: Responsibility
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      – SubjectFull: Patient advocacy
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      – SubjectFull: Judgment sampling
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      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
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      – SubjectFull: Sound recordings
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      – SubjectFull: Thematic analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Organizational change
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      – SubjectFull: Patient-professional relations
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      – SubjectFull: Stakeholder analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Japan
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    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Medical students as agents of change: A qualitative study of medical students' self-governance.
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              M: 06
              Text: Jun2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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