1. Assessment of professionalism Ethics in professional practice
Professor Rona Patey
University of Aberdeen

2. Definition of professionalism
Numerous definitions……..but uncertainty remains
‘Medical professionalism signifies a set of values, behaviours and relationships that underpins the trust the public has in doctors with doctors being committed to integrity, compassion, altruism, continuous improvement, excellence & teamwork’
Royal College of Physicians 2005

3. Supporting the development of professionalism
Curriculum design
Student selection
Teaching & learning methods
Role modeling
Assessment methods
Passi et al Medical Education 2010

4. Why assess professionalism?
Post-grad disciplinary action strongly associated with prior ‘unprofessional behaviours’ as an undergraduate
Severe irresponsibility
Severely limited capacity for self improvement
Papadakis et al 04 & 05
Requirement for students to demonstrate professionalism by regulators
Most complaints about conduct not competence
Present behaviour can predict future actions
Doesn’t osmose
All clinicians vulnerable to lapses in professional behaviour & can benefit from explicit attention to this domain
Evidence that there may be a deterioration in professional attitudes from idealism to cynicism

5. Assessment of professionalism
Many instruments described
No single instrument for all aspects of professionalism
Multidimensional approach
Aim to track attitudes throughout curriculum
Workplace based assessment desirable with multiple assessors in multiple clinical settings

6. Methods of assessing professionalism
Peer assessment
Direct observation
Patient evaluations
OSCE
Standardised patient assessments
Student evaluation
Reflective writing
Self assessment
Educational portfolios
Teamwork exercises
P-MEX
Attendance / work records
Video analysis
Situational judgement test

7. Ethics in professional practice
Two points of view on teaching ethics
Means of creating virtuous clinicians
Means of providing clinicians with the skill set to analyse and resolve ethical dilemmas
Work required to delineate core content, core processes, core skills

8. UoA Ethics teaching Professional & ethical code Reflective writing
Introduced in Year 1 & signed annually
Reflective writing
Whole class and small group discussion
Clinical practise

9. UoA Ethics: Y1 4 principles
Beneficence
Non-maleficence
Respect for autonomy
Justice
Highlight topics of particular relevance for the students:
Non-judgmental approach
Not imposing personal views & respecting patient views
Confidentiality
Not exceeding your competency
Fitness to practise

10. UoA Ethics Y2

11. UoA Y3, Y4 & Y5 Clinical experience
Professional practice blocks ( 3 days Y3 / 2 x 2 wks Y5)
Ethics case scenarios
Medicolegal sessions e.g. mock Fatal accident inquiry

12. Role models & the learning environment
Important in:
professional character formation
to impart values of the profession
Three characteristics of good role models
Clinical competence
Teaching skills
Personal qualities

13. University of Dundee poster for clinical areas

14. Our context Students changing cultural contexts
Social and system differences
Transfer of information on student professionalism
What?
How?

15. Questions / discussion