Article Figures & Data
Tables
The Oath of Hippocrates (4th century bc)1 The Prayer of Maimonides (12th century ad)2 The Declaration of Geneva (1948)5 The Oath of Lasagna (1964)6 The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Core Competencies (1999)7 The American Medical Association Declaration of Professional Responsibility (2001)8 The American Medical Association Principles of Medical Ethics (2001)9 The American Board of Internal Medicine Charter on Medical Professionalism (2002)10 Theme and Code Frequency of Codea aFrequency = percentage, given that n = 100. Professional skills Dealing with the negatives 23 Listening and presence 20 Growth and development 17 Empathy 10 Needs recognition 10 Thinking/cognition 9 Discernment 8 Other skills 7 Communication 6 Self-reflection 6 Relational skills 5 Self-care 5 Personal qualities Constancy/perfectionalism 37 Wholeness, integrity, and self-respect 29 Entitlement vs humility 13 Self-acceptance 12 Professional identity Nature of relationships 38 Positive emotions 29 Nature of healing 27 Service 26 Spirituality 23 Relationship with patient as person 19 Balance 15 Relationship with community 4
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The Article in Brief
Promise of Professionalism: Personal Mission Statements Among a National Cohort of Medical Students
Michael W. Rabow , and colleagues
Background Throughout history, doctors have taken oaths intended to reflect their professional values, personal goals, and commitments to society. It is not known whether such guidelines are accepted by medical students or whether they reflect students' professional priorities. This study looks at medical students' professional commitments and values by analyzing their individual mission statements.
What This Study Found Three main themes emerged from medical students' individual mission statements: professional skills, personal qualities, and scope of professional practices. Compared with classic oaths and more contemporary professionalism statements, students offer an expanded view of physicianhood that includes such elements as dealing with fears, personal-professional balance, love, equal relationships, self-care, healing, and awe. While recognizing the central role of the patient, students appear to recognize the importance of ties to their own families and the need for balance and a supportive community, as well as the need to maintain personal wholeness and deal with negative aspects of training.
Implications
- Too large a gap between the personal goals of students and the basic skills outlined in standardized professional guidelines may contribute to cynicism, alienation, and depression as students move through their training.
- Medical school curricula may need to be adapted to support the personal goals of those now entering medicine.
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