Shame kills Confidence

:fire: “Shamed Into Silence” — The Hidden Cost of Clinical Teaching

“You don’t know that?”
“How are you even in med school?”
[Laughter from the team. You shrink. You nod. You stay silent.]

Every med student knows that moment. The burn of being called out. The flush of shame when learning turns into humiliation.

But what happens after the moment passes?

:police_car_light: Shame-Based Feedback Isn’t Just Harsh — It’s Harmful

Clinical teaching that relies on shame doesn’t build resilience.
It builds:
:brain: Fear-based learning
:zipper_mouth_face: Silence instead of curiosity
:x_ray: Checklists instead of judgment
:pensive_face: Burnout, doubt, and detachment
Students stop asking.
They stop thinking out loud.
They play it safe.
And worst of all — some start to believe they’re not good enough.

:cross_mark: Shame ≠ Tough Love
Shame teaches students:
To hide mistakes, not learn from them That vulnerability is weakness That medicine rewards silence over honesty
And then…
They may pass it on.
The cycle repeats.

:hammer_and_wrench: We Can Break the Loop
:white_check_mark: Teach with accountability and respect
:white_check_mark: Correct with clarity, not cruelty
:white_check_mark: Build clinical courage, not clinical fear
:white_check_mark: Give feedback that lifts, not labels

:speech_balloon: If you’ve felt shamed while learning — you’re not weak. You’re not alone. And you’re not wrong to speak up.

:stethoscope: Medicine needs brave learners, not broken ones.

This is an educational awareness message. Not a substitute for clinical or institutional mental health or teaching policy.

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Wowww… really nice and very helpful.
Very good topic :clap:

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Best post of the day..!! We can always focus on questioning the unknown and logically analyzing the things when needed. Many of the students face this during their school and even in med school the chain keeps on going.

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Never feel ashamed of asking your doubts !

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It’s so true. Fear based learning is never good because it kills active participation and interest of students. Well written once again.

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The last line: medicine needs brave learners not broken ones :fire::raising_hands:t2:

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A true MEDICO :100:

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well said

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This is a powerful and well-written piece, Bhavini. It effectively highlights a deeply relevant issue in medical education—the harm of shame-based teaching

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Very well said :raising_hands:

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Nicely explained.
Shame is only weapon which kills soul of his owner.
Binding one self to the idea of what others will think only stops you from becoming something big, something as special as you.

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So true!!

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Very nicely put together.

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Shame ≠ tough love
Quote lucrative equation for me

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Even when they say you was the topper ? really

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Really and truly relatable to every medico. There are only few professors or teachers who treat their students otherwise.

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