A special task force on medical professionalism met from December 2005 through May 2006 to examine this important issue. Questions considered included:
- What is meant by medical professionalism; how is it defined for academic purposes?
- Where is professionalism currently being addressed in our curriculum?
- How can we assess professionalism in our students?
- What might we do, both from a curriculum and extra-curricular standpoint, to improve professional behavior among students, faculty, residents and other staff?
The task force issued its final report in May 2006, and included twelve specific recommendations. Efforts are currently underway to launch a formal program of teaching and assessing professionalism across the continuum of medical education at BSOM.
For further information on this project, please contact Dr. David Musick, Associate Dean, Medical Education (see staff section of web site for contact information).
The BSOM definition of medical professionalism appears below:
