The Courage to Be Vulnerable: Why Doctors Must Embrace Openness to Learn and Grow
Medicine is a profession that attracts high achievers. From the earliest days of training, doctors are selected from the top of their cohort—people who have rarely failed at anything, who thrive on achievement, and who are often driven by pride in their knowledge and competence. The culture of medicine reinforces this: mistakes are feared, shortcomings are hidden, and vulnerability can feel dangerous in a world where careers may be judged on reputation and hierarchy.
Yet, paradoxically, vulnerability is one of the most powerful enablers of genuine learning. Without it, feedback feels threatening rather than useful; reflection becomes superficial rather than transformative. For Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to be meaningful, we must cultivate a willingness to be open—even when it is uncomfortable.
Why Vulnerability Feels So Difficult in Medicine
There are structural and cultural barriers that make doctors reluctant to expose weakness:
Fear of judgment: Medicine is notoriously hierarchical. Errors are sometimes weaponised in competition, creating an environment where imperfection is seen as weakness.
Fear of litigation: The medicolegal environment often drives secrecy and defensiveness, rather than openness.
Personal identity: For many doctors, their self-worth is tied tightly to professional competence. Admitting mistakes or gaps in knowledge can feel like a threat to identity itself.
These forces make it easier to present a polished exterior than to admit, “I don’t know” or “I could have done that better.”
Why Vulnerability Matters for CPD
True reflection requires honesty, and feedback only works if we are prepared to truly hear it. Vulnerability is the bridge that makes both possible. When we accept that imperfection is inevitable, feedback stops feeling like an attack and instead becomes a gift that enables growth.
In the same way, reflection becomes more meaningful when doctors allow themselves to ask, “What did I miss? What can I change?” rather than simply documenting events without depth. Vulnerability also fosters connection: when experiences are shared openly—whether in a team debrief or among peers—they create solidarity, build resilience, and ease the sense of isolation that so often accompanies perceived failure.
A Case Example
Consider a junior registrar leading a resuscitation that does not go as planned. In the immediate aftermath, their instinct is to withdraw: “If I admit what I missed, my consultant will think less of me, and my peers will judge me. This will compromise my chances of getting the senior registrar position I’m applying for”
Instead, the team holds a structured debrief. The consultant begins by sharing a mistake they themselves made during a resuscitation early in their career. The registrar then feels safe enough to admit their own missteps. Rather than blame, the group discusses how decision-making under pressure could be improved.
What might have been an experience of embarrassment and self-flagellation becomes one of collective learning—and the registrar leaves with both insight and confidence for next time.
How Doctors Can Build the Courage to Be Vulnerable
There are practical strategies that can make vulnerability safer and more natural in professional learning:
Leadership from the top: Senior doctors who share their own mistakes and reflections set the tone. Vulnerability modelled by leaders legitimises it for everyone else.
Group debriefing: Structured debriefs after critical events encourage shared reflection, reducing the stigma of individual error.
Prompts in reflection tools: Portfolio or CPD tools can include positive, constructive prompts like, “What would I do differently next time?” or “What feedback did I find difficult to hear?”—questions that push past surface-level recording.
Psychological safety: Teams that cultivate respect, non-judgment, and a “no-blame” approach create space where people can speak openly.
Reframing mistakes: Shifting from blame to systems thinking—asking “what happened?” rather than “who failed?”—makes vulnerability about improvement, not punishment.
Peer support networks: Sharing reflective practice with trusted colleagues or mentors reduces isolation and builds confidence.
Conclusion
Vulnerability is not weakness—it is courage. For doctors, it may feel countercultural to admit uncertainty or error, but without it, reflection and feedback are hollow exercises. By leading with openness, building supportive structures, and embedding vulnerability into CPD practice, we can turn medicine’s harshest realities into opportunities for growth.
Doctors who dare to be vulnerable not only improve their own practice, but also contribute to a culture where learning, rather than perfection, is the measure of success.