Professional Identity of Pakistani Veterinary Students: Conceptualization and Negotiation

Zaneb, Hafsa; Armitage-Chan, Elizabeth

Abstract

Most work on the professional identity of veterinary and medical professionals has been conceptualized in the US and Europe. It reports professional identity formation to be highly individualized, triggered by experiences of identity distress, and identity negotiation strategies to be generally focused around personal reflection. However, within Asia, important sociocultural differences exist that might influence professional identity and its development. Societal values may take precedence over individual ones, and some cultures consider the veterinary profession as stigmatized. With this background, we seek to understand professional identity and its construction in Pakistani veterinary students. We selected five students through purposive sampling and invited them for narrative interviews. Social identity theory and Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs predominantly contributed to the theoretical framework, which together with principles of social phenomenology and narrative analysis informed qualitative analysis of the transcribed interviews using an in-depth approach. We found that students’ professional identity was predominantly socially constructed, though their sense of their identity was not very well developed. Role models, social stigma, professional socialization in clinical settings, gender, and to some extent, cultural interpretations of religious messages seemed to mediate professional identity development. Students responded differently to their understanding of professional stigma, making sense of stigma through strategies such as denial or internalization. Since Pakistani veterinary students experience social and personal values differently compared with those from predominantly individualistic cultures, identity formation through reflecting on personal values may be less effective than strategies that emphasize social learning and beliefs.

Key words: veterinary professional identity, stigma negotiation, identity dissonance, collectivist culture, stigmatized profession, professional identity formation

Citation

Zaneb, H., & Armitage-Chan, E. (2023). Professional Identity of Pakistani Veterinary Students: Conceptualization and Negotiation. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 50(6), 685-693. https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme-2022-0064

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 18, 2022
• Publication Date: Dec 20, 2023
• Deposit Date: Apr 22, 2024
• Journal: Journal of Veterinary Medical Education
• Print ISSN: 0748-321X
• Electronic ISSN: 1943-7218
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 50
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 685-693
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme-2022-0064
• Keywords: General Veterinary; Education; General Medicine