Surgical Professionalism 2012 (original) (raw)

Priorities for professionalism: what do surgeons think?

The Medical journal of Australia, 2015

To gain an understanding of the relative importance of the nine surgical competencies and their 27 attributes defined by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), which together provide the curriculum framework for today's surgeons. Between 9 August and 30 September 2010, trainees and Fellows of the RACS across Australia and New Zealand actively involved in educational activities rated, via questionnaire, the importance of the RACS competencies (technical expertise, communication, professionalism, medical expertise, judgement and decision making, scholarship and teaching, collaboration and teamwork, management and leadership, and health advocacy) and associated attributes. Importance ranking of competencies and their attributes for surgical education and training. Of 3054 questionnaires distributed, 1834 (60%) were returned. We identified clear priorities in the perceived relative importance of the nine competencies and 27 attributes. The most important attributes were ...

A question of professionalism: leading forward the surgical team

Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England, 2005

Surgical practice must be driven by wise professional judgements, involving complex deliberation, in the interests of ensuring the safe care of patients. Large amounts of energy are now being concentrated in training doctors in skills (competencies) in the belief that this will reduce risk to patients. Little thought is being given to developing in the young, wise professional judgement which is at the heart of being a good doctor and a good surgeon.

The impact of surgical care practitioners on surgical training

Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 2006

The Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, has recently published his recommendations 1 on how the government should respond to the serious criticisms of medical regulation and the General Medical Council made by Dame Janet Smith in her final report of the Shipman Inquiry. 2 In a thoughtful and well-written report, he places the regulation of doctors within the wider set of systems for improving and quality assuring modern practice. Doctoring is at the heart of the healthcare system. Sir Liam's focus throughout is, therefore, on how to make sure that in future everyone in the UK who needs a doctor gets a good doctor. 3 It means that patients should feel they can trust any doctor without even having to think about it, 2 and that doctors themselves would entrust members of their family to any colleague without a moment's hesitation.

Medical professionalism: Navigating modern challenges

InnovAiT: Education and inspiration for general practice, 2021

Medical professionalism is an evolving entity, requiring continual development according to shifting societal priorities. The public trust that underpins the medical profession is imperative for maintaining effective partnerships with patients, their families and the wider community. This article provides an overview of what constitutes medical professionalism, including the current protocols and assessments for general practice training. The aim is to improve understanding of the current issues surrounding professionalism in primary care. Fictional case scenarios are used to illustrate modern professional dilemmas and to promote reflection on the complex interacting factors that influence professional practice and clinical decision-making.

Conceptualization and development of professionalism among general surgical residents

2019

Background: Medical professionalism is the association among doctors, patients and the general public as the whole. This study explores how development of attributes of professionalism is conceptualized by postgraduate surgical residents in a teaching hospital in Pakistan. Study design: Phenomenological qualitative study in constructivist paradigm. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in department of general surgery, Jinnah Hospital Lahore, Pakistan from June 2017 to July 2018. Purposeful homogenous sampling technique was used to include 15 final year residents, being trained in four surgical units, as research participants and sample size was based on data saturation. After taking informed consent, 15 semi structured one on one interviews were conducted. Audio taped, transcribed and analyzed through thematic analysis. The codes developed after the first interviews were refined in the follow-up interviews and latest ideas extracted until saturation. Where needed researcher ga...

A framework for professionalism in surgery: what is important to medical students?

The American Journal of Surgery, 2014

BACKGROUND: The purposes of this study were to develop a comprehensive framework for professionalism in surgery and to determine which attributes are most valued by medical students. METHODS: A framework for professionalism in surgery, consisting of 11 attribute categories, was developed. All 3rd-year medical students (n 5 168) participated in a focus group and completed a questionnaire regarding their perceptions about professionalism. Students' responses were transcribed verbatim, coded, and assigned attribute categories. RESULTS: Students rated respect as the most important attribute of professionalism (56%), followed by altruism (21%) and interpersonal skills (8%). Fifty-three percent of students witnessed unprofessional behavior among faculty members while on the surgical clerkship. Of these incidents, 74% were related to respect, 28% to practice improvement, and 1% to altruism. CONCLUSIONS: Respect was rated as the single most important characteristic of professionalism and was the attribute with the most witnessed violations.

Nurturing Medical Professionalism in the Surgical Community

Annals of African Surgery, 2018

Introduction: The teaching of professionalism worldwide is changing for effectiveness. Our aim was to explore the reflection of the surgical teaching community in a Kenyan context on how professionalism can be effectively inculcated through the socio-cultural concept of activity theory. Methods: A sequential mixed-methods study was conducted among clinicians and students within the surgical community of the University of Nairobi from March to December 2014.. Individual interviews and focusgroup-discussions were conducted using grounded theory methods. A survey of the resultant views was performed through a predetermined questionnaire which utilized a 4-point Likert scale for response ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree". Factor analysis was used to analyze the responses to the survey. Internal reliability was determined by Cronbach's α. Results: Four themes emerged from the interviews; change of values, regulation, enabling environment and formal curriculum. In the survey, the participants strongly agreed with strengthening mentorship (77.5%) and a teaching facility (74.7%) with a rewarding or recognition (69.5%). The reliability test of the items showed a Cronbach's α of 0.827. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the participants would like to see a different and transforming path in inculcating professionalism through changing values and enabling environment among others.

Changes in self-perceptions of professionalism in general surgery residents following introduction of a professionalism education program

2020

I would like to acknowledge my thesis advisor, and mentor, Dr. Debrah Wirtzfeld. Without your passion and dedication for positive change, and without your encouragement and support, this project would not exist. Thank you for believing in me. I would also like to thank Margaret Shiels for your invaluable administrative support throughout this entire project. I would like to acknowledge the unwavering support and encouragement of my family, and especially my husband, and son. You have been my greatest cheerleaders and this accomplishment would not have been possible without your support or your sacrifice. And finally, I would like to thank my Father. Your steadfast kindness to me is unfathomable. From you and through you and to you are all things. Results: With the administration of a Professionalism Education Program (PEP), selfperceptions of professionalism showed significant improvement in the area of Social Responsibility, and trends towards significant improvement in several other core components of professionalism. There were also improvements in self-awareness as it related to professionalism. This self-awareness lead to a self-perceived improvement in professional behaviour. History and Evolution of Professionalism in Medicine The origins of the medical profession, along with law and the clergy, began in medieval times and gave rise to our modern-day social contract. 9 This social contract includes the premises that 1) non-members are unable to practice, 2) the profession is self-regulated (who is permitted to enter the profession, length of training, and evaluation is decided upon by the profession), and 3) cooperation with governmental agencies is necessary for the purpose of monitoring.10 This social contract creates the basis for the fiduciary relationship between the medical profession and society, and is the foundation of trust, between the profession and society, and between caregiver and patient. Established in 1847, the American Medical Association (AMA) set as its primary goal raising ethical standards in the medical field.11 In 1876, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) was formed to restructure medical education and influence standards and codes of ethics for medical schools, residency programs, medical boards, and other areas of healthcare. The Flexner report and the subsequent restructuring of medical training in 1910, marshalled the first wave of "medical professionalism" and the recognition that explicit acknowledgment and education in professionalism was imperative.12 Between 1942 and 1981, multiple committees and working groups were initiated to continue to discuss and coordinate changes to professional standards and medical education. Since the mid 1980's, there has been a shift and an ongoing commitment to advance the principles of professionalism in the context of medicine.13 14 The AMA and AAMC have now recognized the importance of fostering and evaluating professionalism in physicians in training and in practice.15 16 The AAMC Medical School Objectives Project urges medical schools to teach these skills.17 The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) defined these skills as core competencies that programs must include and evaluate in their training programs.18 The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) has included an evaluation of communication skills and professionalism in the recertification process of practicing physicians.19 Finally, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) has now included 'Professional' in their CanMEDS teaching.20

Medical professionalism: what does the public think?

Clinical Medicine, 2010

In the context of professionalism being viewed increasingly as a social contract, a survey was conducted to investigate the importance placed by the general public on doctors' professional attributes. A quota sample of 953 responded to a 55-item online inventory of professional attributes. The quotas closely represented the national census. The majority of the highly important attributes focused on the relationship with patients. Statistically, the responses emerged as a three-facet model (clinicianship, workmanship and citizenship) of medical professionalism. The general public did not equate professionalism with social standing, wealth production, physique or appearance. They recognised doctors as professionals by their good behaviour, high values and positive attitudes as clinicians, workmen and citizens. Although, their preference of professional attributes varied with the setting, eg patient consultation, working with others and behaving in society, they expected doctors to be confident, reliable, dependable, composed, accountable and dedicated across all settings.