Professionalism - The Ignored Competence of Medical Education in Pakistan

Abstract

Who is a good doctor? The answer is not that simple as professionalism in medical education is a complex concept with a lot of challenges for educators1. Professionalism is defined as conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession”2. In medical practice, these skills incorporate clinical competence, communication skills, and ethical and legal understanding for the achievement of excellence, humanism, accountability, and altruism. In Pakistan, despite concern for the quality of skills and attitudes of medical graduates, the focus of corrective action is more on patient care and less on malpractice and professionalism. There are multiple reasons for unprofessional attitude in our graduates and doctors. There is a sense of superiority in doctors as the profession requires high merit, extensive time, and much more physical resources than other professions.