The existence of a hidden curriculum is pivotal to the learning experience and personal-professional growth of medical students. Some of what is learned can be invaluable, like humility, adaptability, and the importance of teamwork. But when the lessons undermine the core values of medicine, we must pause and reflect. Medical educators and institutions must acknowledge this invisible layer of learning. It starts with creating safe spaces for reflection, encouraging open dialogue, and modeling the values we claim to teach. Faculty development programs should address not just what is taught, but how it is taught — and what behaviors are being modeled on rounds, in operating rooms, and in everyday interactions. In the end, students may forget a lecture or a textbook chapter, but they will never forget the culture they were trained in. The same applies to postgraduate residents and fellows.At Johns Hopkins Medicine, efforts to reshape the culture of learning are already underway. The institution has launched several key initiatives aimed at dismantling the more harmful elements of the hidden curriculum and fostering an environment of transparency, inclusion, and psychological safety.
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Office of Faculty: Faculty Development offers robust resources to help educators reflect on their roles as mentors and role models, emphasizing emotional intelligence, communication, and equity in teaching. The Faculty Development for Educators initiative provides structured guidance on how to create supportive, learner-centered environments that counteract the negative lessons absorbed through hidden hierarchies and implicit messaging. Moreover, the mistreatment reporting system gives students and trainees a confidential channel to report unprofessional behavior, encouraging accountability while fostering a culture that actively listens to and protects its learners. The House Staff Council and the Johns Hopkins Postdoctoral Association are additional platforms that empower trainees to advocate for themselves, address systemic issues, and participate in shaping institutional priorities related to well-being, professionalism, and equity.
Changing the hidden curriculum is not about adding another module or checklist — it’s about rehumanizing medical education. It’s about ensuring that the next generation of physicians doesn’t just learn how to care for patients, but also learns to care for themselves, each other, and the values that make medicine not just a science, but a calling.
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