Medical Professionalism

“Professionalism is the basis of medicine's contract with society. It demands placing the interests of patients above those of the physician, setting and maintaining standards of competence and integrity, and providing expert advice to society on matters of health.”

 

— Medical Professionalism in the New Millennium: A Physician Charter1

Professionalism is an essential element of being a good pediatrician.

The American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) endorses the Physician Charter, also known as the Charter on Medical Professionalism.1 Initially published in 2002 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the charter outlines three fundamental principles and 10 professional responsibilities of medical professionalism. It serves as a reminder to physicians that the interests of patients rank above those of the physician.

Physician Charter (PDF)

In addition, the ABP asks program directors at the end of each year to certify that their trainees have achieved the competence in professionalism required to be eligible to take the certifying examination. To help program directors in this endeavor, the ABP’s Education and Training Committee and the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD) created Teaching, Promoting and Assessing Professionalism Across the Continuum: A Medical Educator's Guide2 in 2008. The guide was expanded in 2016 to address the needs of the continuum of learners from students, residents, and fellows into continuous professional development.

Professionalism (PDF)

Please note that the PDF version of the professionalism guide will not be updated as frequently as the online version.


1Project of the ABIM Foundation, ACP–ASIM Foundation, and European Federation of Internal Medicine. Medical Professionalism in the New Millennium: A Physician Charter. Annals of Internal Medicine 2002; 136: 243-246. Accessed April 26, 2017, at http://annals.org/aim/article/474090/medical-professionalism-new-millennium-physician-charter.

2American Board of Pediatrics. Education and Training Committee. Teaching, Promoting and Assessing Professionalism Across the Continuum: A Medical Educator's Guide. Accessed April 26, 2017 at https://www.abp.org/professionalism-guide.

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