Methodological Challenges in Studies of Personal and Professional Identity Formation

Abstract

Demographic information about the identities of faculty, staff, students, and trainees is frequently collected in pharmacy education. A wide range of identities and characteristics can influence the choices and experiences of students as they progress through curricula and develop their professional goals. Understanding personal and professional identity formation within dynamic and complex environments is critical to promoting the success of pharmacy education and practice. Emerging research efforts highlight the importance of considering identity development from varying perspectives, and offer new methods for collecting and analyzing data. The objective of this commentary is to reflect on the methodological challenges of identity formation research in pharmacy education and offer recommendations for those interested in this work.

Keywords: Demographics; Gender; Pharmacy; Professional identity formation; Race.