Study Examines How Biomedical Laboratory Science Students Develop Professional Identity

Biomedical laboratory scientist students develop their professional understanding through an evolving process shaped by academic coursework, clinical laboratory training, peer dialogue, and structured self-reflection, according to a qualitative study published in BMC Medical Education. Rather than experiencing a simple linear progression toward professional belonging, undergraduate trainees navigate distinct stages of occupational development as they advance through their degree coursework.

To investigate how students understand their emerging roles, investigators examined undergraduate participants across three consecutive academic years in a Swedish university programme. Professional development serves as a fundamental pillar in healthcare education, yet the mechanisms through which biomedical laboratory science trainees conceptualize their technical responsibilities and workplace values have historically received limited empirical attention.

The researchers conducted a qualitative, cross-sectional investigation involving 24 biomedical laboratory scientist students enrolled across the first, second, and third years of the university curriculum. The participants engaged in semi-structured peer interviews utilizing a shared interview guide, recording their discussions to capture peer reflections on professional practice, clinical duties, and academic development.

The study analyzed the interview transcripts using qualitative content analysis framed by Etienne Wenger’s Communities of Practice theory. To evaluate how occupational identity formed across the cohorts, the authors utilized the theoretical dimensions of imagination, engagement, and alignment as specific analytical lenses to assess student descriptions of technical knowledge, operational values, and workplace practices.

The findings demonstrated that students in the initial phase of the programme primarily perceived the laboratory profession through imagination, relying on preexisting personal expectations and limited practical experience.

As trainees advanced further into their curriculum, direct engagement in laboratory coursework and authentic clinical placements significantly broadened their comprehension of daily operational duties.

By the final year of the degree, students demonstrated growing alignment with core professional values, even as they actively negotiated their upcoming roles and career trajectories within the broader biomedical community. The qualitative data indicated that clinical and educational experiences prompted critical self-reflection, with some individuals expressing a sense of professional distancing as they evaluated their future occupational fit.

The authors concluded that professional development among biomedical laboratory scientists unfolds through complex interactions of imagination, active engagement, and value alignment. These foundational developmental processes foster professional competence and workplace application, ultimately reinforcing diagnostic quality and patient safety across healthcare services.

The research was conducted by Amrah Heikkinen, Jenny Flygare, Max Scheja, and Klara Bolander Laksov, who published their findings in BMC Medical Education. The study examined how undergraduate biomedical laboratory scientist trainees specifically describe their knowledge, practices, values, and professional understanding as they progress through three distinct years of undergraduate education.

By framing the analysis around the three analytical lenses of imagination, engagement, and alignment from Etienne Wenger’s Communities of Practice framework, the authors sought to address a gap in healthcare education literature, where little had previously been documented regarding how biomedical laboratory scientist students develop an understanding of their profession over time.

In evaluating the pedagogical implications of the findings, the researchers observed that the combination of educational curricula and hands-on clinical placements not only supported the acquisition of practical knowledge and clinical techniques, but also stimulated critical reflection among students. While the curriculum facilitated the adoption of essential practices, it also prompted some students to experience professional distancing as they reflected on their emerging occupational roles.

The authors emphasized that these educational and reflective processes are essential for supporting competence, ongoing development, and the direct application of skills in professional practice. Through these evolving developmental experiences, the training of biomedical laboratory scientists directly contributes to the overarching standards of healthcare quality and patient safety.

Subject of Research: Professional development of biomedical laboratory scientist students through communities of practice

Article Title: Becoming biomedical laboratory scientists: exploring students’ professional development through communities of practice

Article References: Heikkinen, A., Flygare, J., Scheja, M., & Laksov, K. B. (2026). Becoming biomedical laboratory scientists: exploring students’ professional development through communities of practice. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10801-x

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12909-026-10801-x

Keywords: biomedical laboratory science, medical education, professional development, communities of practice, clinical training, laboratory practice, qualitative content analysis, higher education, patient safety, clinical competence, healthcare education, peer interviews, undergraduate students, professional identity, laboratory medicine, diagnostic quality, Swedish university