Fostering Connection and Shame Resilience Through Self-Compassion: An Innovative Elective for Health Professions Learners

Background Shame is an emotional experience in health professions education, often contributing to burnout, isolation, and threats to professional identity. Self-compassion has been identified as a protective factor against shame. This study describes the development and evaluation of an elective designed to foster shame resilience and cultivate self-compassion among health professions students. Methods A 6-h elective, Fostering Connection and Shame Resilience Through Self-Compassion , was offered over 3 monthly 2-h sessions. Each session included a shared meal, abbreviated large-group conceptual learning, reflective writing, guided self-compassion practices, and small-group discussions. Participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF) at the beginning and end of the course and the Shame Frequency Questionnaire in Medical Students (SFQ-MS) at the end. A control group of nonparticipating medical students completed the SFQ-MS for comparison. An anonymous program evaluation survey was also conducted. Results Of 21 learners who completed both pre and post SCS-SF scales, statistically significant improvements were observed in 7 of 12 items and in 4 of 6 subscales (Self-Kindness, Self-Judgment, Common Humanity, and Mindfulness). The total self-compassion score increased from mild to moderate. On the SFQ-MS, 6 of 12 items showed statistically significant differences between the postelective group and matched controls. Program evaluation data indicated that 62% reported significantly greater awareness of shame, and 57% reported significantly increased openness to practicing self-compassion. Conclusions This elective represents an innovative approach to improving emotional resilience in learners, integrating experiential learning, interpersonal connection, and small-group learning. Findings suggest that even brief interventions can positively impact learners’ self-compassion and aspects of shame resilience. Curricula addressing these affective domains may offer valuable tools for enhancing well-being and professional identity formation in health professions education.