Insights into discrepancies in professional identities and role models in undergraduate medical education in the context of affective burden

International evidence strongly suggests that medical students are at high risk of mental health problems. This distress, which can be mediated by a variety of individual, interpersonal and contextual factors within the curriculum, can be mitigated by effective coping strategies and interventions. Central to this discourse is the recognition that the challenges of professional identity formation can contribute significantly to medical students' distress. The focus of our study is therefore to examine discrepancies in professional identities and role models in undergraduate medical education in relation to affective burden.