Shattering the Shield: Embracing Complexity in Undergraduate Medical Education

Background: Multimorbidity and patient complexity are increasing, yet undergraduate medical education curricula remain dominated by single disease frameworks, where students are often shielded from exposure to this complexity. Why this shielding continues to occur is understandable; however, this may leave graduates feeling underprepared for real-world practice. This study aimed to explore medical students' experiences of encountering, managing and dealing with complexity and to provide informed recommendations for integrating complexity into clinical teaching. Methodology: Situated within a constructivist paradigm, this qualitative study involved focus groups (n = 4) with fourth- and fifth-year medical students (n = 17) from two Scottish Universities. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings: Learners in this study recognised multimorbidity, complex communication and emotionally charged interactions in their definitions of complexity. They described varying levels of exposure to complexity and opportunities to engage meaningfully with complex patients. Students felt that supervisors who shield students from learning opportunities with complex patients, together with a failing healthcare system, were critical limiting factors in their development. Learners emphasised the powerful role of supervisors in their learning experiences, which limited their ability to experiment and learn from productive failure but felt that with guided scaffolding and supervision, teaching and learning in this space could be meaningfully enhanced. Conclusion: Exposure to and engagement with complex patients offer critical learning opportunities that may allow students to explore and better develop skills in managing complexity. With appropriate scaffolding, students can be empowered to embrace complexity in the clinical learning environment, potentially equipping them to care for complex patients.