Medical Students' Creation of Original Poetry, Comics, and Masks to Explore Professional Identity Formation.

Introduction: This study examines differences in students' perceived value of three artmaking modalities (poetry, comics, masks) and whether the resulting creative projects offer similar or different insights into medical students' professional identity formation.

Methods: Mixed-methods design using a student survey, student narrative comments and qualitative analysis of students' original work.

Results: Poetry and comics stimulated insight, but masks were more enjoyable and stress-reducing.

Medical Students' Efforts to Integrate and/or Reclaim Authentic Identity: Insights from a Mask-Making Exercise.

Medical students' mask-making can provide valuable insights into personal and professional identity formation and wellness. A subset of first- and second-year medical students attending a medical school wellness retreat participated in a mask-making workshop. Faculty-student teams examined student masks and explanatory narratives using visual and textual analysis techniques.