Disorderly Conduct: Calling Out the Hidden Curriculum(s) of Professionalism (original) (raw)

Thus, the failure to address the "values being transmitted within the hidden and informal curriculum [that] are decidedly'unprofessional'in nature" (Hafterty zoooa, z4) is a major cause of students' disdain of the "p-word" and is directly tied to the development of cynicism cited earlier. Yet, the drumbeats for assessing professionalism in students largely ignore these disturbing contradictions, and students notice the conspicuous absence of similar assessment efforts tergeting the same behaviors in attendings (Leo and Eagen zoo8). Instead, students face an environment of "excessive directives, lectures, rules, and moral pronouncements that they ffind] repetitive and patronizing" (Goldstein et al. zoo 6, 871). løs I Wear, Zarconi Ct Garden / Disorderþ Conàuct Tb e ore tic a/ C ons iderations Unfortunatel¡ and at the local medical school level, the term professionalisrn also frequendy denotes a more pragmatic concentrarion on srudenr behaviors, such as punctuality or appearance. In addition, medical educators designing curricula often rurn to the field perceived as the humanizing counterparr to the potendally dehumanizing basic science curriculum and clinical training: rhe medical humanities. Such conrent is often deemed most appropriate for more intensive investigarion (if not outright inculcation) of professionalism, particularly the virtues associated wirh it. Assumptions proliferate here as well, most of rhem unspoken, including how professional virrues can be "taught" directly, and where, and by whom. For many medicai educators, the medical humanities-primarily ethics, lite¡ature, narrative inquir¡ and writing-seem as good a place as any to address