Constructing ALL identities through individual consultations with medical students

Abstract

In this commentary, we examine how our identity as ALL practitioners is constructed through individual consultations (ICs) with medical students. While ICs offer us the space for drawing on our multidisciplinary backgrounds and educational expertise, our complex identity may be viewed and shaped differently by the various stakeholders, such as students, clinical and Faculty staff. Our discussion reveals significant tensions between who we are and what we teach, and the various ways we are being constructed by others. We illustrate the delicate navigation of daily boundary crossings in order to be effective in enabling students' growth and learning, and hope to call others to also document their multiple identities when working with students in ICs.