The hidden curricula of medical education: A scoping review

Purpose reliability. They extracted, coded, and curriculum” is understood as a mostly To analyze the plural definitions and analyzed key data, using grounded negative concept. Its definition varies applications of the term “hidden theory methodology. widely, but can be understood via four curriculum” within the medical conceptual boundaries: (1) institutional–education literature and to propose a Results organizational, (2) interpersonal–social, conceptual framework for conducting The authors uncovered 3,747 articles (3) contextual–cultural, and/or (4) future research on the topic. relating to the hidden curriculum in motivational–psychological. medical education. Of these, they selected Method 197 articles for full review. Use of the Conclusions The authors conducted a literature search term “hidden curriculum” has expanded Future medical education researchers of nine online databases, seeking articles substantially since 2012. U.S. and should make clear the conceptual published on the hidden, informal, or Canadian medical schools are the focus boundary or boundaries they are implicit curriculum in medical education of two-thirds of the empirical hidden applying to the term “hidden prior to March 2017. Two reviewers curriculum studies; data from African and curriculum,” move away from general independently screened articles with set South American schools are nearly absent. musings on its effects, and focus on inclusion criteria and performed kappa Few quantitative techniques to measure specific methods for improving the coefficient tests to evaluate interreviewer the hidden curriculum exist. The “hidden powerful hidden curriculum.