HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Duff, P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Duff, P.

Teaching and Assessing Professionalism in Medicine

Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida

Address reprint requests to: Patrick Duff, MD, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610-0294; e-mail: duffp{at}obgyn.ufl.edu.

Professionalism is the single most important of the clinical competencies. Lack of professional behavior, in turn, is the single most common cause for disciplinary action against third and fourth-year medical students, residents, fellows, and clinical practitioners. Desirable professional attributes include humility, honesty, responsibility, reliability, and accountability. The ability to preserve an appropriate balance between patient care responsibilities and personal commitments also is an important feature of professional behavior. Altruism, respectfulness, loyalty, compassion, sensitivity, and tactfulness are other desirable professional attributes. In addition, professionalism requires a heightened sense of intellectual curiosity, insight into personal strengths and weaknesses, maturity, and commitment to clinical excellence and self-directed learning. Professionalism can be taught and assessed through lectures, small-group seminars, role-playing exercises, directed reading, and one-on-one observation and counseling. However, the most effective way of teaching professionalism is for instructors to model appropriate behavior and to impose a consistent policy of zero tolerance for unprofessional behavior.