Why do students participate in medical education?

BACKGROUND Medical student involvement in curriculum development is important; however, little is known about why medical students become engaged in this activity. The aim of this study was to understand what motivates medical students at one university to participate in the process of curriculum development and gain a wider perspective on student engagement in medical education. METHODS Grounded theory methodology was the foundation of this study. We conducted semi-structured interviews with seven medical students from the University of Tokyo who developed and participated in a group whose aim was to actively contribute towards improving their medical education. The data from the interviews were analysed by thematic synthesis, with triangulation. RESULTS Three themes emerged as potential explanations for motivating student behaviour: (1) extracurricular interaction with faculty members; (2) engaging with highly motivated peers; and (3) student values for serving the public. CONCLUSIONS Students working to improve educational processes at their medical schools had the opportunity to communicate more with faculty members, enjoyed opportunities for networking with other highly motivated peers and enhanced aspects of their developing professionalism.