Role models in medicine and beyond: a survey study exploring the relationship between role models, academic performance and sense of belonging

Background
Role models are widely regarded as central to medical education, influencing professional identity, specialty choice, and socialization. Given the consistent emphasis on role models within medical education, it is imperative that assumed benefits are substantiated with empirical evidence. This study investigates medical students’ role models and their associations with academic performance and sense of belonging, comparing these associations with those observed in non-medical students.

Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 37,043 students at Utrecht University in Spring 2022 (final analytic sample: n = 3,474; medical students: n = 478). Students reported whether they had role models and how many. Sense of belonging was measured using the Sense of Belonging Scales (SOBS), assessing perceived faculty understanding, peer support, and classroom comfort. Academic performance was self-reported as GPA. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests, independent-samples t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Spearman correlations, with Bonferroni corrections for multiple comparisons.

Results
Among medical students, 54.4% identified one or more role models, a higher proportion than most other faculties. For medical students who had role models, the mean number of role models per student was 2.82 (SD = 1.94), which was higher than in most other faculties. Having role models and the number of role models were positively associated with all subconstructs of sense of belonging, particularly peer support. Associations with GPA were weak and did not remain significant after correction for multiple testing. Cross-disciplinary comparisons indicated that the prevalence and impact of role models vary by faculty: Veterinary Sciences showed similar role model prevalence to Medicine but no significant associations with outcomes, highlighting context-dependent effects.

Conclusions
This study adds empirical weight to the prominent role of role models in medical education, as the majority of medical students reported having role models and these were positively associated with their sense of belonging, particularly in terms of peer support. Comparisons with other faculties show similar or even stronger associations, and other faculties show no significant relationships. Together, these results indicate that role models are likely context-dependent rather than exclusive to medicine. Future research should explore causal mechanisms, mediating factors, and longitudinal effects of role models across diverse academic contexts.