Evaluating the Impact of Role Models on Medical Learners: A Multi-Generational Analysis

Abstract

Background

Role modeling is a core, although often underrecognized, component of medical education that contributes to professional identity formation, the transmission of professional values, and specialty-related aspirations in an authentic clinical setting. In the context of evolving educational methods and increasing use of digital resources, examining whether learners and physicians continue to identify clinical educators as role models across different career stages has practical implications for faculty development and the clinical learning environment.

Methods

A national cross-sectional survey included 877 participants from Jordanian medical institutions in different career stages, categorized as medical students, residents, specialists, subspecialists, or respondents in basic medical sciences. The questionnaire assessed role-model identification, admired attributes, and specialty and sex concordance. It was developed following a literature review and underwent expert review for content validity by five experts. Because the questionnaire consisted of distinct categorical items and did not generate a composite scale score, internal-consistency reliability was not applicable.

Results

Across the different educational and professional groups, Eighty-seven percent of respondents reported having a role model. The most frequently cited attributes were expert knowledge (75%) and respect for students (64%), while communication with team members (40%) and work ethics (44%) were least cited. A significant association was found between participant and role model specialty (χ²(7) = 22.63, p = 0.002; Cramer’s V = 0.35), indicating moderate effect size. Weak association was observed between participant and role model sex. Male role models were predominant across both male and female respondents.

Conclusion

Role-model identification remains highly prevalent across educational and professional groups in different career stages, despite changes in educational delivery and technology. The findings support institutional efforts to make clinical reasoning, ethical practice, teamwork, and professional behavior more visible to learners; strengthen faculty development in conscious role modeling; integrate learners meaningfully into clinical teams; and broaden access to diverse role models. The observed specialty concordance should be interpreted as an association rather than evidence that role models caused specialty choice.

Introduction

Role models are defined as admired faculty members who demonstrate the standards of excellence in teaching and in clinical practice.¹ Role models teach by example and influence students in an unaware, informal, and episodic manner.²

Role modeling in medical education is a fundamental pedagogical strategy, widely recognized for its impact on the development of professional behaviors and clinical skills in medical trainees.³ It is defined as the process by which students learn through observation and emulation of the behaviors, attitudes, and practices exhibited by experienced practitioners.⁴ Role modeling extends beyond mere technical proficiency to encompass the demonstration of ethical standards, communication skills, and compassionate patient care.⁵ Effective role models in medical education exemplify the integration of medical knowledge with the humane aspects of patient interaction, thereby shaping the professional identity of their mentees. The significance of role modeling lies in its ability to inspire and motivate students, fostering a learning environment where theoretical knowledge is translated into practical application and professional growth.⁶

From a pedagogical perspective, role modeling is particularly important because it supports learning within authentic clinical settings, where learners observe how knowledge, clinical judgment, communication, ethical principles, and professional behavior are integrated in everyday practice.

Despite all the research on role modeling, it is still an elusive phenomenon in medical education.⁷ Role models do not demonstrate a single defined set of behaviors or techniques, and few structured training opportunities are available to prepare educators for this role. Consequently, role modeling is largely shaped by how the learner perceives the educator, while the educator may be unaware of their influence or of the reasons, they are perceived as role model.³ Despite the availability of medical education literature researching role model, yet there is no clear way of including it in the curricula as a strategy for achieving learning objectives. The other important issue is that weather with the massive changes in medical education and the use of technology lessened the impact of clinical educators on their students and made them less likely to be perceived as role models.⁸

The influence of role models may also differ across generations and stages of medical training. In this study, the generational perspective refers to learners and physicians at different educational and professional career stages, including undergraduate students, residents, specialists, and subspecialists.

These groups have experienced different training environments, educational approaches, technologies, and expectations of faculty–learner relationships. The growing use of digital technology, online resources, and alternative sources of learning may also have reduced learners’ direct exposure to clinical educators and, consequently, their influence as role models. It is therefore important to examine whether the identification of role models, and the attributes valued in them, remain consistent across these groups.⁸

This question is particularly relevant in Jordan, where the substantial increase in medical student enrollment has placed growing pressure on clinical training capacity and may limit learners’ opportunities for sustained, direct interaction with educators. Reduced exposure may influence whether educators are identified as role models and which attributes learners are able to observe and value. However, evidence remains limited regarding how medical students and physicians in Jordan identify role models, whether these patterns differ across career stages, and the extent of specialty and sex concordance between learners and their role models.

This study was conducted in Jordan to explore the impact of role modeling on medical education and physician training by examining the prevalence of role model identification, the attributes valued in role models, and their relationship with specialty choice and sex concordance. It also aimed to determine whether these patterns differ among undergraduate students, residents, specialists, and subspecialists representing different educational and professional generations.

Methods

We conducted a national cross-sectional survey using an English language questionnaire informed by a thorough literature review and vetted by an expert panel. Questionnaire development followed a multistep process. First, relevant domains and candidate items were identified through a review of the literature on role modeling in medical education. Content validity was assessed through structured expert review and consensus. Five experts in medical education and research methodology reviewed the questionnaire for clarity, comprehensiveness, and appropriateness to the Jordanian context. Their comments were discussed by the expert panel and agreed-upon modifications were incorporated. Because the questionnaire consisted of distinct categorical items and did not generate a composite scale score, internal-consistency reliability was not applicable.

The questionnaire was distributed widely through medical schools, training programs, professional networks, and electronic communication channels to reach eligible participants across Jordan. Participation was voluntary; therefore, the final sample represented a convenience sample of respondents. To ensure confidentiality, responses were collected anonymously using a self-administered online questionnaire after participants received a brief overview of the study objectives and provided informed consent.

Ethical approval was granted by the University of Jordan Institutional Review Board (JUIRB), approval number 136/2023. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki, ensuring the protection of participants’ rights, safety, and well-being. All participants provided informed consent. Informed consent was obtained electronically from all participants. The first page of the online survey contained a participant information sheet outlining the study objectives, procedures, voluntary nature of participation, confidentiality measures, and the right to withdraw at any time. Participants were required to indicate their consent by selecting an “I agree to participate” option before they could access and complete the survey. Only those who provided electronic consent were able to proceed to the questionnaire. The study was conducted between April 2024 and November 2024.

Eligible participants were medical students currently enrolled at a Jordanian medical school, physicians undertaking postgraduate medical training, and certified specialists or subspecialists practicing in Jordan. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling.

The minimum sample size was calculated using the single-population proportion formula. In the absence of a reliable previous estimate, an expected proportion of 50% was used, with a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error. The minimum required sample was 385 participants. The final sample of 877 participants exceeded the minimum required sample.

For this study, participants were grouped according to educational and professional career stage rather than chronological age or birth cohort. Based on self-reported professional status, they were classified as undergraduate medical students, physicians in postgraduate training, certified specialists, or certified subspecialists. These career-stage groups reflect successive levels of clinical responsibility and exposure to evolving educational approaches, technologies, and faculty–learner relationships. In this manuscript, the term “generational groups” refers to these career-stage categories rather than to age-defined cohorts such as Generations X, Y, or Z.

The questionnaire was structured to explore four primary objectives: assessing the prevalence of role model use among physicians and trainees; identifying the specific attributes for which participants admire their role models; examining the influence of a role model’s specialty on the participants’ own specialty choices; and determining whether participants tend to select role models of the same sex. A further analytical objective was to determine whether the prevalence of role model identification and the attributes admired in role models differed across the four educational and professional career-stage groups. All participants, including those who did not report having a specific role model, were invited to identify the attributes they considered important in a medical role model. Therefore, the analysis of preferred role-model attributes included the full study sample. Analyses concerning the sex or specialty of an identified role model were restricted to participants who reported having a role model and provided the relevant information. Incomplete responses were excluded from the relevant analyses.

For the first two objectives about estimating how often participants reported having a role model and identifying the most admired role-model attributes; we relied on simple descriptive statistics, presenting frequencies and percentages in summary tables.

For the third objective (specialty influence), we constructed a eight‐by‐two contingency table of participant specialty versus matched role model specialty and applied Pearson’s χ²-test of independence (α = 0.05, df = 7) to assess association; effect size was gauged via Cramer’s V (benchmarks: small ≈ 0.10; medium ≈ 0.30; large ≥ 0.50). For the fourth objective (sex concordance), we cross-classified participant sex and role-model sex in a 2×2 table, again using Pearson’s χ² (no continuity correction; α = 0.05, df = 1) and confirming with Fisher’s exact test; strength of association was summarized by the Phi coefficient (φ = √[χ²/N]). All analyses were performed in Python (SciPy 1.x, Pandas).

Results

Most of the participants were undergraduate medical students (69%) across different career and training stage, 83–94% of individuals reported a role model. These findings demonstrate consistently strong engagement with role-model identification across demographic subgroups.

For detailed demographic distribution refer to Table 1.

Table 1.

Participants’ Demographics and the Prevalence of Role-Model Among Physicians and Trainees

Demographics of Participants (877)	Total Number (%)	Yes, to Having a Role Model Number (%)
Sex
Male	342 (39)	292 (85)
Female	535 (61)	472 (88)
Age
20–24	589 (67)	516 (88)
25–30	84 (10)	73 (87)
31–40	77 (9)	66 (86)
41–50	73 (8)	63 (86)
51–60	29 (3)	27 (93)
>60	25 (3)	19 (76)
Training stage
Medical student	607 (69)	529 (87)
Resident	68 (8)	62 (91)
Specialist	60 (7)	52 (87)
Sub-Specialist	109 (12)	90 (83)
Basic Medical sciences	33 (4)	31 (94)

The most frequently cited reason for selecting an educator as a role model was expert knowledge and skills (661/877; 75%), followed by respect for students (562; 64%). Fewer respondents identified work ethics (389; 44%) or team‐communication skills (353; 40%) as their primary rationale. Details in Table 2.

Table 2.

Attributes Participants Considered Important in a Medical Role Model*

Attribute	Number (%)
Expert knowledge and skills	661(75)
Students’ respect	562(64)
Communication skills with patients	509(58)
Work ethics	389(44)
Communication skills with the team members	353(40)

Notes: * Participants could report preferred attributes regardless of whether they identified a specific role model and they could select more than one response; therefore, percentages do not total 100%.

Among 189 physicians who nominated a role model’s specialty, 133 (70.4%) chose a role model from the same specialty. Match rates varied across specialties. A Pearson’s χ²-test revealed a statistically significant association between participants’ specialties and whether they chose a role model from the same specialty (χ²(7) = 22.63, p = 0.002), with a Cramer’s V of 0.35, indicating a moderate effect size.

The highest match rates were observed in Pediatrics (46/52; 88.5%), Orthopedic and Special Surgery (15/18; 83.3%), and Family Medicine (5/6; 83.3%). In contrast, lower match rates were noted in Basic Science (7/19; 36.8%) and Internal Medicine (32/52; 61.5%). Undergraduate students were excluded from this analysis to avoid bias due to undeclared or evolving specialty preferences. Table 3

Table 3.

The Effect of a Role Model’s Specialty on Participants’ Own Specialty Choices

Role Model Specialty	Participants Chose Role Model Specialty	Participants Chose Different Specialty than Role Model Specialty
Pediatrics	46 (88)	6 (12)
Surgery	19 (68)	9 (32)
ObGyn	7 (64)	4 (36)
Internal Medicine	32 (62)	20 (38)
Family Medicine	5 (83)	1 (17)
Anesthesia	2 (67)	1 (33)
Basic Science	7 (37)	12 (63)
Orthopedic & Special Surgery	15 (83)	3 (17)

Among 292 male participants who reported having a role model, 281 (96%) chose a male role model; among 358 female participants, 325 (90.8%) did so. Male role models were predominant among both male and female participants. However, female participants were somewhat more likely than male participants to identify a female role model (9.2% versus 3.8%). Participant sex was significantly associated with role-model sex, although the association was weak (χ²(1) = 7.57, p = 0.006; Fisher’s exact OR = 2.59, p = 0.007; φ = 0.11). Table 4.

Table 4.

Distribution of Role Model Sex According to Participants’ Sex

	Male Role Model	Female Role Model
Male Participants	281 (96%)	11 (4%)
Female Participants	325 (91%)	33 (9%)

Discussion

Role modeling in medical education has consistently proven to be a valuable learning tool over time.^3,4,9 This study was conducted to explore the impact of role modeling in medical education in Jordan and whether its influence has evolved in recent years. Our study demonstrated that the percentage of participants who reported having a medical educator as a role model remained high across different generations of physicians and medical students (see Table 1).

Despite the changes in educational strategies and the growing availability of digital platforms, online educational resources, and alternative sources of information, the high prevalence of role model identification across career-stage groups suggests that these resources complement rather than replace direct interaction with clinical educators. Career stage was used as the grouping variable and broadly reflects differences in age, educational era, clinical experience, and exposure to evolving technologies and faculty–learner relationships. The findings therefore indicate that role modeling remains relevant across successive stages of medical training and professional practice.

The influence of the medical educator’s personality on students and trainees has shifted notably over time, mirroring broader transformations in medical education and societal expectations. In the past, an authoritative and paternalistic demeanor was often considered sufficient for effective teaching. However, contemporary medical education places greater emphasis on empathy, communication, and relational skills, leading to a growing preference for educators who cultivate supportive and inclusive learning environments.^10,11

This evolution is driven by the recognition that medical students benefit not only from technical expertise but also from the interpersonal attributes of their mentors, which are critical for holistic patient care.¹² Furthermore, the advent of patient-centered care and interprofessional collaboration has necessitated that educators model these values, thereby enhancing the learning experience and better preparing students for modern clinical practice.¹³

In our study, expert knowledge and skills remained the most frequently selected attributes for considering an educator a role model. However, respect for students and communication skills with patients were also selected by the majority of participants, reflecting the increasing importance of respectful, learner-centered, and patient-centered practice in contemporary medicine. These findings indicate that learners value role models who combine clinical expertise with interpersonal and relational competence.

Work ethics and communication within the healthcare team were selected less frequently, but this does not necessarily mean that participants considered these attributes unimportant. Rather, these qualities may be less directly visible to learners, particularly when students are positioned as observers rather than active members of the clinical team. This interpretation may be particularly relevant in Jordan, where the large number of medical students may limit opportunities for sustained interaction with clinical educators and meaningful participation in clinical teams. It is also consistent with the composition of our study sample, in which undergraduate medical students represented the largest participant group.

Medical schools and training institutions should create structured opportunities for students to participate actively and under supervision in patient care, handovers, interprofessional discussions, clinical decision-making, and reflective debriefing. Such engagement would allow students to observe and internalize how educators communicate, collaborate, address ethical challenges, demonstrate professional commitment, and assume responsibility for patient care.

Clinical training is a representation of the social learning theory which suggests that learning is a cognitive process that occurs within a social context, often through observation, imitation, and modeling.⁵ The clinical learning environment, in particular, serves as a longstanding and ideal social setting for the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and professional identity. Social learning theory emphasizes that learners gain expertise through participation in authentic clinical experiences, with guidance and support from preceptors and healthcare staff. The cognitive apprenticeship model, where students learn through hands-on practice under supervision, closely aligns with the core principles of social learning.¹⁴

Role modeling can therefore be understood as more than the passive observation of an admired individual. Its educational effect depends on access to authentic clinical practice, meaningful participation, observation of expert reasoning and behavior, and opportunities for feedback and reflection. Through these processes, learners gradually internalize the standards, values, and behaviors of the profession.

The students should be part of the clinical care community in order for role models to have this impact on their personal and professional development.¹⁵ Reflecting on the limited involvement of medical students in the Jordanian healthcare system during their training, our findings suggest that effective role modeling depends not only on the qualities of the educator but also on the active clinical engagement of the learner. Without meaningful participation in real patient care, students miss critical opportunities to internalize ethical values, develop communication skills, and form their professional identity.

This has important implications for medical institutions in Jordan. Increasing clinical exposure alone may be insufficient if learners remain peripheral observers. Institutions should review the organization of clinical placements to ensure that learners are assigned meaningful, supervised roles appropriate to their level of competence. Clinical departments should also promote learning environments in which respectful communication, teamwork, ethical decision-making, and learner participation are intentionally demonstrated and discussed.

The influence of medical educators on learners transcends the simple transmission of medical knowledge and skills. Learners often perceive their educators as embodiments of their own potential future, envisioning themselves in similar roles.¹⁶ When learners observe their admired educators positively impacting patient acceptance of treatment plans, achieving professional satisfaction, and garnering respect from colleagues, they are inspired to emulate these behaviors.¹⁷ This emulation is driven by a desire to attain similar professional rewards and recognition, thus reinforcing the educators’ influence on their career choices and development. In our study, this was evident through the association between participants’ specialties and the specialties of their role models (Table 3), a finding similar to those of previous studies.¹⁸ The moderate association observed in this study suggests that role models may contribute to specialty-related professional identity and career aspirations. Nevertheless, the cross-sectional design does not establish that the role model caused the participant’s specialty choice. Participants may select role models after entering into a specialty, or both choices may be influenced by shared clinical interests, institutional exposure, or access to particular educators. The finding should therefore be interpreted as an association rather than evidence of causation.

Most role models identified by both male and female physicians and medical students were men (Table 4). This may reflect the historical gender imbalance among medical educators in our institutions, where male faculty have long been the majority. Although the proportion of female educators has increased in recent years (now approaching 30%), the legacy of male dominance may still influence students’ perceptions. Alternatively, this trend might stem from other underlying social factors. While role models can be of opposite sex, having more similarities with the educators including same sex especially for female students in our regional context might have a greater influence on their professional development.¹⁹

This finding also emphasizes the significance of having an educator who is consciously aware of their influence as a role model. Educators who recognize their influential position actively shape the professional and personal development of their students. Moreover, such educators are more likely to engage in reflective practices, continually assessing and refining their behaviors to align with best practices and the evolving standards of medical professionalism.⁵ Conscious role modeling is particularly important for female educators in the region, whose visibility and engagement may strengthen younger female physicians’ confidence in their ability to pursue senior clinical, academic, and leadership positions.²⁰

The implications of these findings extend beyond individual educators to the institutions responsible for shaping the clinical learning environment. Medical schools, residency programs, and healthcare institutions should promote conscious role modeling by helping educators make their clinical reasoning, ethical decision-making, teamwork, and professional conduct more visible to learners. Faculty development, reflection, and feedback may increase educators’ awareness of both positive and negative role modeling, while institutional recognition through faculty evaluation, promotion, mentoring programs, and teaching awards may reinforce exemplary practice.

Efforts are also needed to broaden learners’ access to role models across sex, specialty, professional background, and leadership level. Although structured mentoring cannot replace naturally developed role-model relationships, mentoring and sponsorship may increase access to educators who are less visible within the clinical learning environment, including female faculty members and educators from underrepresented specialties.

This study has several limitations. Its cross-sectional design does not allow assessment of changes over time or establish causal relationships between role modeling and professional development or specialty choice. Career stage was used as a surrogate for generational differences and is closely associated with age, seniority, educational era, and institutional exposure. Accordingly, the observed differences cannot be attributed to chronological generation alone.

The findings were based on self-reported perceptions and may therefore have been influenced by recall bias, social desirability, and differences in how participants understood the concept of a role model. Although the questionnaire was reviewed by five experts in medical education and research methodology for clarity, comprehensiveness, and appropriateness to the Jordanian context, it did not undergo formal quantitative content validation or broader psychometric evaluation. Further validation of larger and more diverse samples is therefore warranted.

Future longitudinal and qualitative studies should examine how role-model relationships develop and change over time, why particular educators are selected as role models, and how institutional and clinical learning environments shape these relationships.

Conclusions

This study reaffirms the enduring significance of role modeling in medical education, even amidst evolving pedagogical strategies and technological advances. The high prevalence of role model identification across different educational and professional career stages, from students to subspecialists, underscores its continued relevance in shaping both the professional and personal development of learners.

While clinical expertise remains the most valued trait, qualities like student respect and patient communication also rank highly, reflecting a shift toward more humanistic values in medicine. Lower emphasis on team communication and work ethics suggests the need for greater student involvement in real clinical settings in order to observe this aspect of their role model personality.

Role modeling was shown to influence specialty choice, and male role models were predominant, likely due to faculty demographics. This underscores the need for greater female representation and conscious role modeling, especially to support and inspire future female physicians.

For role modeling to meaningfully shape students’ development, students must be actively integrated into the clinical care environment, where they can observe and internalize the values, skills, and behaviors fundamental to professional identity formation and compassionate, collaborative medical practice.

These conclusions should be considered in light of the study’s cross-sectional design, and reliance on self-reported perceptions. These limitations prevent causal or longitudinal conclusions regarding how role modeling changes over time.

Future research should focus on training medical educators in conscious role modeling and exploring how to formally integrate it into medical curricula. Longitudinal and qualitative studies are also needed to examine how role models influence learners over time, why particular educators are selected as role models, and whether structured faculty-development and mentoring interventions improve professional identity formation, specialty decision-making, and access to diverse role models.

Funding Statement

This study did not receive any funding.

Ethical Approval and Informed Consent

The study received research ethical approval form the university of Jordan institutional review board. Approval number 136/2023. Informed consent was obtained electronically from all participants. The first page of the online survey contained a participant information sheet outlining the study objectives, procedures, voluntary nature of participation, confidentiality measures, and the right to withdraw at any time. Participants were required to indicate their consent by selecting an “I agree to participate” option before they could access and complete the survey. Only those who provided electronic consent were able to proceed to the questionnaire.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.