Helen O'Sullivan

The concepts of professionalism and professional behaviour: Conflicts in both definition and learning outcomes

This article is the second in a series on professionalism in the European Journal of Internal Medicine. The current article will first focus on these different views and definitions that are currently adopted by the various researchers, and subsequently discuss the consequences for the training and assessment of professionalism and professional behaviour in medical education.

Professionalism: evolution of the concept.

The concept of professionalism has undergone major changes over the millennia in general and the last century specifically. This article, the first in a series of articles in this Journal on professionalism, attempts to provide the reader with a historical overview of the evolution of the concept of professionalism over time. As a result of these changes, medical school curricula, and contemporary specialist training programs are increasingly becoming competence based, with professionalism becoming an integral part of a residents training and assessment program.

A pilot study assessing emotional intelligence training and communication skills with 3rd year medical students.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether emotional intelligence (EI) developmental training workshops can lead to increases with the Bar-On Emotional Quotient (EQ-i) total scores. METHODS A pilot study with a quasi-randomised controlled design was employed with self-report assessments conducted at baseline and post-intervention following a 7-month training programme. Medical students based at a UK-based medical school participated in the study, and 36 volunteer students were recruited to the control group with 50 students randomly assigned to receive the intervention. A total of 34 (68%) students in the intervention group attended the first intervention training workshop, 17 (34%) attended the majority of the monthly development sessions and completed the post-intervention assessment. In the control group only one participant did not complete the follow-up assessment. RESULTS The intervention group had significantly higher EQ-i change from baseline mean scores than the control group. The intervention group mean scores had increased across time, whilst the control group mean scores slightly decreased. CONCLUSION The EI developmental training workshops had a positive effect on the medical students in the intervention group. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Further research is warranted to determine whether EI can be a useful measure in medical training, and the concept and measurement of EI requires further development.

Emotional intelligence in medical education: a critical review

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a term used to describe peoples awareness of, and ability to respond to, emotions in themselves and other people. There is increasing research evidence that doctors’ EI influences their ability to deliver safe and compassionate health care, a particularly pertinent issue in the current health care climate.

Integrating professionalism into the curriculum: AMEE Guide No. 61

Professional values and behaviours are intrinsic to all medical practice, yet remain one of the most difficult subjects to integrate explicitly into a curriculum. Professionalism for the twenty-first century raises challenges not only to adapting the course to changing societal values but also for instilling skills of ongoing self-directed continuous development in trainees for future revalidation. This Guide is based on the contemporary available literature and focuses on instilling Professionalism positively into both undergraduate and postgraduate training deliberately avoiding the more negative aspects of Fitness to Practise. The literature on Professionalism is extensive. An evidence-based approach has been taken throughout. We have selected only some of the available publications to offer practical advice. Comprehensive reviews are available elsewhere (van Mook et al. 2009a–g). This Guide takes a structured stepwise approach and sequentially addresses: (i) agreeing an institutional definition, (ii) structuring the curriculum to integrate learning across all years, (iii) suggesting learning models, (iv) harnessing the impact of the formal, informal and hidden curricula and (v) assessing the learning. Finally, a few well-evaluated case studies for both teaching and assessment have been selected to illustrate our recommendations.

What impact do structured educational sessions to increase emotional intelligence have on medical students? BEME Guide No. 17

Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) is a type of social intelligence that involves monitoring, discriminating between and using emotions to guide thinking and actions. EI is related to interpersonal and communication skills, and is important in the assessment and training of medical undergraduates. Aim: This review aimed to determine the impact of structured educational interventions on the EI of medical students. Methods: We systematically searched 14 electronic databases and hand searched high yield journals. We looked at changes in EI and related behaviour of medical students, assessed using Kirkpatricks hierarchy, provided they could be directly related to the content of the educational intervention. Results: A total of 1947 articles were reviewed, of which 14 articles met the inclusion criteria. Conclusions: The use of simulated patients is beneficial in improving EI when introduced in interventions later rather than earlier in undergraduate medical education. Regardless of duration of intervention, interventions have the best effects when delivered: (1) over a short space of time; (2) to students later in their undergraduate education and; (3) to female students. This should be taken into account when designing and delivering interventions. Emphasising the importance of empathetic qualities, such as empathetic communication style should be made explicit during teaching.

Reactions to a New Technology: students’ ideas about genetically engineered foodstuffs

Abstract This study explores the prevalence of ideas among 16‐19 year old students about the application of a rapidly expanding technology, genetic engineering, to food production. A closed‐form questionnaire with items about genetically engineered vegetables and animals was completed by 386 students from 13 further education institutes. The most common ideas about the advantages of genetically engineered foods were those of improved storage and increased productivity; fewer students thought that such foods would be better tasting, cheaper or healthier. Few thought that genetically engineered foodstuffs were unsafe for the environment or for the consumer, although almost all wanted such foodstuffs to be labelled. Approximately half thought that genetically engineered foodstuffs were ‘unnatural’, although fewer thought that it was wrong to produce such organisms and even fewer gam religious beliefs as their reason. There was a suggestion that greater understanding of genetic engineering increases confidenc...

Integrating professionalism into the curriculum

Professional values and behaviours are intrinsic to all medical practice yet remain one of the most difficult subjects to integrate explicitly into a curriculum. Professionalism in the twenty-first century raises challenges not only for the adaptation of the medical training programme to changing societal values but also for ensuring that trainees gain the skills for self-directed continuous development and future revalidation. This article is an introduction to the AMEE Guide in Medical Education No 61: Integrating Professionalism into the Curriculum (www.amee.org), which is based on the extensive contemporary available literature. An evidence-based approach has been taken throughout the Guide as it focuses on instilling professionalism positively into both undergraduate and postgraduate training. It takes a structured, stepwise approach and sequentially addresses: (i) agreeing an institutional definition, (ii) structuring the curriculum to integrate learning across all years, (iii) suggesting learning models, (iv) harnessing the impact of the formal, informal and hidden curricula and (v) assessing the learning of the trainee. A few well-evaluated case studies for both teaching and assessment have been selected to illustrate the recommendations.

Approaches to professional behaviour assessment: tools in the professionalism toolbox.

There is general agreement that professionalism and professional behaviour should be (formatively and summatively) assessed, but consensus on how this should be done is still lacking. After discussing some of the remaining issues and questions regarding professionalism assessment, this article discusses the importance of qualitative comments to the assessment of professional behaviour, focuses on the currently most frequently used tools, as well as stresses the need for triangulation (combining) of these tools.

Training and learning professionalism in the medical school curriculum: Current considerations

Recommendations in the literature concerning measures to address the challenges to professionalism have converged on the establishment of an education community, on a structured curriculum dealing with professionalism, on developing programs for role modelling and mentoring, and on attention to the assessment of professional conduct. The interventions in the field of medical education appear central among these efforts, since it is during medical school that the template for professional conduct in medicine is primarily learned. This article attempts to provide a more in-depth discussion of the goals, purposes and current factors influencing teaching and learning professional behaviour in the medical school curriculum and the residency programs.