Proposed learning strategies of medical students in a clinical rotation in obstetrics and gynecology: a descriptive study

Dear editor

We note with great interest the article by Deane and Murphy¹ exploring the learning drivers and strategies of medical students in a clinical rotation in obstetrics and gynecology. The article highlights key points about the motivation of medical students, and we strongly agree that extrinsic motivators, such as obtaining a good ranking to stand a better chance when applying for future jobs, are key learning drivers. We lament the relative unimportance of intrinsic motivators and we commend the authors’ suggestion of considering strategies to foster more intrinsic drivers of student learning. We believe, however, that this will be difficult to implement with the intense competition prevalent at every stage of a medical career, with students’ motivations more likely to be of the extrinsic nature. Furthermore, from a practical standpoint, aspirations relating to future careers are often volatile or, more commonly, uncertain. This creates an environment wherein intrinsic motivators may not be applicable, and so we would argue that medical educators should focus more on aiding students to find their given area of interest, allowing the intrinsic motivation to develop naturally.