Experiential learning is a cornerstone of effective medical education, particularly in didactic settings in which learners benefit from opportunities for reflection. Meaningful experiences can challenge existing knowledge structures, promote deeper learning, and encourage self-reflection. Such experiences may also support professional identity formation by helping trainees connect personal values with their emerging roles as physicians.

Awe and wonder may be useful within this framework. Awe is the feeling associated with encountering something perceived as vast or transcendent, whereas wonder is a reflective state characterized by openness and curiosity. These experiences often occur together during transformative learning experiences.^1-3 Awe and wonder have been associated with connectedness, humility, and reduced distress.¹ Among health care professionals, daily experiences of awe have also been associated with improved well-being and reduced stress.³

Awe and wonder may help medical learners connect with personal values and sustain empathy throughout their careers.^4,5 These emotions can arise during transformative experiences and may promote self-reflection.^1,2,6 We sought to assess changes in affect among family medicine residents participating in a didactic session designed to facilitate experiences of awe and wonder.

We recruited family medicine residents from 3 residency programs: Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency Program in California, and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Family Medicine Residency Program. The institutional review boards at each institution determined that the study was exempt from review. Participants constituted a convenience sample of residents present during a scheduled didactic session. All 46 residents participated in the session; 42 consented to the use of their data for scholarly purposes.

The authors facilitated 50-minute didactic sessions⁷ designed to promote experiences of awe and wonder. Facilitators first defined the concepts and discussed their potential associations with reduced burnout and improved well-being (10-15 minutes). Participants then completed a 16-minute photo scavenger hunt during which they captured images, without human identifiers, that evoked awe. On returning, participants formed groups of 3 or 4 to discuss their images and reflect on the experience (5 minutes). Participants then provided a 1-sentence written summary of what had inspired them. Facilitators concluded with a structured debriefing focused on participants' reactions and insights (10 minutes).

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is a reliable and valid 20-item measure of positive affect (Table 1) and negative affect (Table 2), with items rated on a Likert-type scale.⁸ We selected the PANAS because it has been extensively studied and allowed us to assess a range of emotional responses to the didactic session. Participants completed the PANAS immediately before and after the session. Open-ended survey items elicited qualitative responses to the prompts, "This inspired awe in me because..." and "Please share your comments about the value of this activity."

Table 1. Positive Affect Items Analysis of Change

* p<.05

Table 2. Negative Affect Items Analysis of Change

* p<.05

Analysis revealed overall increases in positive affect (Table 1) and decreases in negative affect (Table 2). Statistically significant increases were observed for the PANAS items interested, excited, enthusiastic, and active. Statistically significant decreases were observed for distressed, guilty, irritable, nervous, and jittery.

Common themes in participants' comments included gratitude, calm, connection, and hopefulness. Representative responses included, "I feel peaceful," "I was given time to reflect," and "There is hope." One participant wrote that the activity "makes me feel small in the 'wow, this world is so cool' kind of way." Another appreciated "time with other residents I don't get the opportunity to speak with." A participant who described having been in "robot mode with work" during the previous 2 weeks characterized the activity as relaxing and reassuring and reported that it "woke up a bit of happiness" that they had not allowed themselves to feel recently.

Participation in a didactic session focused on awe and wonder was associated with immediate improvements in affect among family medicine residents, including decreases in several negative affect measures and increases in several positive affect measures. Participants' qualitative responses also reflected feelings of gratitude, calm, hopefulness, and connection with themselves and others.

Positive affect has been associated with cognitive processing, creativity, learning, and interpersonal connection.⁹ For residents working in demanding clinical environments, structured opportunities to experience positive emotions and reconnect with personal values may provide meaningful opportunities for reflection and connection. The session described here offers a brief, experiential approach that can be incorporated into residency didactic programming.

This study had several limitations. The sample included 42 residents from 3 family medicine residency programs and was based on convenience sampling. In addition, the study did not include a control or comparison group. Changes in affect therefore cannot be attributed specifically to awe and wonder and may have been influenced by other aspects of the session, including time away from usual responsibilities, outdoor activity, or social interaction with peers. The study also assessed affect only immediately before and after the intervention and did not evaluate whether changes persisted over time.

Future studies could examine the durability of changes in affect, compare awe- and wonder-based interventions with other experiential activities, and evaluate whether repeated sessions are associated with longer-term changes in resident well-being.

1. Shiota MN. Awe, wonder, and the human mind. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2021;1501(1):85-89. doi:10.1111/nyas.14588
2. Silva Luna D, Bering J. Varieties of awe in science communication: reflexive thematic analysis of practitioners' experiences and uses of this emotion. Sci Commun. 2022;44:107554702210981. doi:10.1177/10755470221098100
3. Monroy M, Uğurlu Ö, Zerwas F, et al. The influences of daily experiences of awe on stress, somatic health, and well-being: a longitudinal study during COVID-19. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):9336. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-35200-w
4. Geller G, Shin S, Goldberg H, Merritt MW. Capacity for wonder among medical students: assessment and educational implications. Med Teach. 2023;45(1):68-72. doi:10.1080/0142159X.2022.2099260
5. Weger U, Wagemann J. Towards a conceptual clarification of awe and wonder: a first-person phenomenological enquiry. Curr Psychol. 2021;40(3):1386-1401. doi:10.1007/s12144-018-0057-7
6. Taylor DCM, Hamdy H. Adult learning theories: implications for learning and teaching in medical education: AMEE Guide No. 83. Med Teach. 2013;35(11). doi:10.3109/0142159X.2013.828153
7. Haymaker C, Longhurst M, Lamb L. Awe and wonder: an experiential learning activity for medical learners and faculty. Professional Well-Being Collaborative Library, STFM Connect. Published October 7, 2025. Accessed October 7, 2025. https://connect.stfm.org/viewdocument/awe-and-wonder-an-experiential-lea?CommunityKey=e3fd7427-e8fe-4926-ab5b-722754775705
8. Watson D, Clark LA, Tellegen A. Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1988;54(6):1063-1070. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1063
9. Lyubomirsky S, King L, Diener E. The benefits of frequent positive affect: does happiness lead to success? Psychol Bull. 2005;131(6):803-855.

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