Informal Learning in Medical Education

A great deal of valuable learning—informal learning—takes place within medicine's informal and hidden curriculum. It is this kind of informal learning that brings about more diverse and personal learning gains. Informal learning contributes to individuals' continuing professional development, personal mastery, and capacity building. Recognition of informal learning can be the key to the development of a strong lifelong learning orientation for learners as they go through the process of developing and forming their professional identity. Expanded insights into the informal learning process will contribute to the design and development of strategies, methods, and informal learning spaces that promote a broader spectrum of human learning within formal medical education settings. It is hoped that discussion on informal learning will also stimulate interest in investigating the impact of informal learning on learners across the spectrum of medical education.