Capturing meaningful moments: a narrative analysis of selfies in medical student portfolios

Portfolios are designed to promote self-regulated learning and reflective practice through guided reflection on collections of artefacts. However, many medical students are reluctant to write reflections. On social media and in social research, photographic self-portraits (selfies) document experiences, relationships, and identity. Therefore, selfies may present an unexplored alternative to written reflections. We explored how selfies in student portfolios might support reflection on learning and professional identity development (PID) during the first two years of medical school. Our longitudinal qualitative study analysed 200 selfies, including individual and group photos or videos created by 37 students over 14 months between May 2020 and July 2021. These selfies were included in student presentations alongside other artefacts for interviews with portfolio advisors. The student sample was purposefully selected from a cohort of 147 first-year medical students. Visual narrative analysis identified recurring stories about the participants’ clinical and social learning. Selfies documented classwork, social activities, and clinical learning associated with stories related to Beginning, Connection, Shared Activities, and Belonging. Viewed in combination, the stories revealed narratives of Integration, Competence, and PID consistent with the stages described in situated learning theory. Selfies can offer an alternative or addition to written reflections for engaging and supporting medical students’ reflections on some aspects of their learning experiences. Selfies are relevant to team-based and clinical learning and PID, complementing evidence of academic achievements. Ethical guidelines for their use and further studies on their use in other educational contexts are needed.