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.