Is Our Professionalism All It Should Be?

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Is Our Professionalism All It Should Be?
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• Professionalism
• Implies
• Commitment
• Training
• Competence
• (as with NBA, policemen, soldiers, etc.)

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• "Learned" Professions
• Law
• Religion
• Medicine
• Essence of Professionalism for these
• ETHICS

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• Components of Medical Professionalism
• Altruism
• Accountability
• Excellence
• Respect for others
• Personal commitment to life-long learning
• Duty
• Honor and integrity
• (KUMC definition)

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• Sources of Concern re Professionalism
• Medical student graduation questionnaire
• AMA
• AAMC
• ACGME
• ABIM
• Local anecdotes

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• VCU School of Medicine Standards of Professional
  Behavior
• These standards describe behaviors expected from
• faculty,housestaff, and students in the School of
  Medicine
• Recognize their positions as role models for
  other members of the health care team.
• Carry out academic, clinical and research
  responsibilities in a conscientious manner, make
  every effort to exceed expectations and make a
  commitment to life-long learning.

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• Treat patients, faculty, housestaff and students
  with humanism and sensitivity to the value of
  cultural, social, age, gender, disability and
  economic diversity without discrimination, bias,
  or harassment.
• Maintain patient confidentiality.
• Be respectful of the privacy of all members of
  the medical campus community and avoid promoting
  gossip and rumor.
• Interact with all other members of the health
  care team in a helpful and supportive fashion
  without arrogance and with respect and
  recognition of the roles played by each
  individual.

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• Provide help or seek assistance for any member of
  the health care team who is recognized as
  impaired in his/her ability to perform his/her
  professional obligations.
• Be mindful the limits of ones knowledge and
  abilities and seek help from others whenever
  appropriate.
• Abide by accepted ethical standards in the
  scholarship, research and standards of patient
  care.
• Abide by the guidelines of the VCU Honor System.

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• Vignettes

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• Concerns and Dilemmas
• Receiving gifts from commercial reps
• Billing for services of others
• Reporting patient impairments to "others"
• Unclear use of placebo (clinical trial)
• Misrepresentation ("Doctor Assistant")
• Withholding information re medical "error"
• Multiple privacy issues (including elevator talk)

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• Bottom Line
• Medical Professionalism is an expected
• behavior in all interactions
• Faculty
• Housestaff
• Support staff
• Students

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• Professionalism
• If there are "lapses," how do we raise the
• level of Professionalism in our "culture"?
• Answer Create Awareness
  in all of us!

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• The Oath of Hippocrates
• I do solemnly swear by that which I hold most
  sacred
• That I will be loyal to the profession of
  medicine and just and
• generous to its members
• That I will lead my life and practice my art in
  uprightness and honor
• That into whatsoever house I shall enter it shall
  be for the good of the sick to
• the utmost of my power, I holding myself aloof
  from wrong, from
• corruption, from tempting of others to vice
• That I will exercise my art solely for the cure
  of my patients, and will
• give no drug, perform no operation, for a
  criminal purpose, even if solicited, far less
  suggest it
• That whatsoever I shall see or hear of the lives
  of men which is not fitting to be
• spoken, I will keep inviolably secret
• These things I promise and in proportions as I am
  faithful to this my oath may
• happiness and good repute be ever mine, the
  opposite if I shall be
• forsworn.

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• SOM Professionalism Website
• http//www.medschool.vcu.edu/professionalism/