Learning in partnership: a dyadic exploration of mutual learning between medical students and patients

Healthcare is increasingly complex, requiring physicians to collaborate with patients in meaningful, person-centered ways. Medical education therefore needs to prepare students for relational and collaborative practice. However, little is known about how sustained patient involvement shapes mutual learning and relational competencies, particularly early in medical education. This study explored how mutual learning between students and patients develops over time within a longitudinal early patient encounter program. This constructivist qualitative study examined an 8-month program at Radboud university medical center, in which first- and second-year medical students were paired with one patient for self-organized encounters across healthcare and everyday contexts during one academic year. Sixteen participants, comprising eight student–patient pairs participated in eight semi-structured interviews conducted after program completion. Interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three researchers independently coded subsets of interviews, followed by iterative team discussions and theme development. Reflexivity was addressed throughout the analytical process. We identified five main themes: building meaningful relationships, engagement between students and patients fosters reflection, engaging with students as a source of patient empowerment, transforming experiences into (intentional) actions, and peer learning. Taking a constructivist approach and applying the lenses of boundary crossing, relationship-centered care, and interprofessional learning provided insight into how mutual learning developed within student–patient relationships. Mutual learning emerged relationally and reciprocally through the ongoing student–patient relationship, highlighting the potential of longitudinal encounters to foster relational competencies early in medical education. Future research should examine how these relational competencies develop over time and whether they are sustained as students progress through the curriculum and into professional practice.