There has been an increased emphasis on professionalism both within the medical profession and throughout society at large. This focus has emerged due to the perception that professionalism lapses are more frequent and more often recognized by public media. There are many potential reasons for this, but the response has been a renewed emphasis on professionalism for students and trainees as well as for practicing physicians. Professionalism was not part of the formal curriculum in times past, thus many senior physicians have experienced a gap in their formal training. All physicians have a sense of what professionalism means, but it is helpful to consider the term and all its elements. This paper seeks to narrow that gap and rekindle consideration of professionalism in our everyday work.
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A universal definition of professionalism is difficult. Some would say that “you know professionalism when...
