The personal identification with a named group inherently gives members a professional status. A definition was quoted in which a true professional is one who has prepared himself to do what has to be done as well as it can be done. In regards to this definition, all individuals who learn a craft of skill are considered professionals. Professions were defined a self appointed and thus do not necessarily imply credibility in the eyes of others. To be a professional means that some one expects a reasonable or beneficial outcome from the person practicing that particular profession.
Professionalism implies that the control or standards of the group comes from the members.
One answer would be society itself, who willingly grants responsibility to professions because they have proven themselves to be responsible. Society grants this status and expects the professional to owe back to the society special values. The professional group is also allowed to determine the prices for their services. This is a question being asked by society today. The Dental Branch has adopted professional values and determined what values should be a part of their profession.