Training New Generations of Physicians in Ethics and Professionalism

Abstract

The medical profession is a specific kind of occupation that responds to the economic, political and social requirements of the community. Nevertheless, in the health care professions, that concept goes even further when the ethical perspective becomes involved. Ideally, health care professionals give priority to the needs of others—individually or collectively— and place their own needs second. In this way, medicine becomes in not just an occupation, but a vocation and a way of life ruled by ethical principles and guided by high professional standards. To restore medicine’s distinctive vocation, it is essential to analyze the intrinsic motivations and life ethics of new generations of physicians and, on that basis, to begin to develop —in the manner of profi ciencies— the knowledge, abilities, attitudes and values that enhance professionalism. In the end, this will provide for a better physician-patient relationship, by invariably giving priority to the patient’s best interests.