Professionalism in medical students and academic surgeons
Subtitle: conception, perception and practice
By: by Michele M. Carr.
Published: 2005
Language: eng
Number of pages: 247
Subjects: Medical students -- Professional ethics -- Ontario -- Toronto.; Surgeons -- Professional ethics -- Ontario -- Toronto.; Medical students -- Ontario -- Toronto -- Attitudes.; Surgeons -- Ontario -- Toronto -- Attitudes.
Description: Survey response rate was 54%, and the components of professionalism perceived to be most important included honesty, respect for patient confidentiality, admitting mistakes to their supervisors and asking for help when appropriate.Numerous suggestions for rational evaluation were made by both groups. A negative evaluative environment was acknowledged, since both groups felt that critical comments stigmatized trainees. A clear definition of professionalism, multiple evaluators, multi-directional evaluation, training in giving feedback for both clerks and surgeons, and a transparent effector mechanism were felt to be most important for good evaluation.The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of professionalism of surgical clerks (final year medical students), both from their point of view and from the point of view of their surgical teachers. This was undertaken in order to propose ways of evaluating professionalism in this context.Scenario discussion suggested that clerks were more likely to excuse a lapse as an error. Surgeons seemed to devalue the clerks' contributions to patient care, an attitude that clerks acknowledged trickled down to their peers and result in professional lapses.The interviews suggested that surgeons and clerks had different models of professionalism. Students felt that professionalism arose in the situation where a favourable personality interacted with a favourable environment and produced a successful physician, while surgeons looked at professionalism as a set of rules for smooth medical practice. Both groups had experienced professional lapses. Clerks' response to the lapse was important; those who felt that they had addressed it felt empowered and learned from it, while those who did not felt abused by the situation and had a more negative outlook on the entire medical profession.Surgeons at the University of Toronto participated in a survey regarding the importance of various components of professionalism for clerks. Then a sample of surgeons and of clerks were interviewed to determine their view of professionalism, professional lapses, and evaluation of professionalism. Scenarios describing potential professional lapses were employed during these interviews.
Notes: Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 227-237)