Research Hotspots and Trends of Growth Mindset in Medical Education: A Bibliometric Analysis

Objective This study aims to analyze the international research trends and frontier hotspots related to the application of growth mindset in medical education from 2016 to 2024. The objective is to provide insights and references for the development of relevant research in China. Methods The Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus databases were searched for English-language literature on the application of growth mindset in medical education, published between January 1, 2016, and December 15, 2024. VOSviewer (v.1.6.18) software was utilized to extract bibliographic information and generate diagrams that illustrate cooperation networks among countries, regions, and authors. Additionally, CiteSpace (v.6.1.R6) software was employed to perform co-occurrence and cluster analyses on various datasets, including those pertaining to document authors and countries/regions. Results From 2016 to 2024, a total of 109 articles, comprising 92 research papers and 17 review articles, were published on the application of growth mindset in medical education. The annual publication volume exhibited a significant upward trend overall. The United States emerged as the country with the highest number of publications, totaling 77 (70.6%), as well as the highest citation frequency, with 1,191 citations (57.5%) in this domain. The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and Mayo Clinic ranked as the two institutions with the highest citation frequency, recording 423 and 417 citations, respectively. Professor Carol S Dweck of Stanford University holds the title for the highest total citation frequency in this field, with 128 citations, while Anthony R Artino from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences has the highest citation frequency for individual publications, totaling 383 citations. High-frequency keywords primarily encompass 'academic success', 'academic performance', 'resilience', 'professional development', and 'faculty development', all of which underscore the outcomes of medical education. Additionally, the terms 'undergraduate medical education' and 'graduate medical education' delineate the target groups within this field. Furthermore, 'coaching', 'feedback', and 'competency-based education' emphasize the pedagogical approaches employed in this educational context. Conclusions Since 2016, the application of the growth mindset in medical education-related research has garnered significant disciplinary attention. Developed countries, particularly the United States, are at the forefront of this field. Currently, the research focus encompasses teaching methods, educational goals, and the educational psychology associated with the application of the growth mindset in medical education, as well as its role in enhancing the well-being and mental health of medical students. Practically, the experiences of the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago in implementing the growth mindset serve as a valuable reference for domestic medical institutions engaging in related research.