A physician charter on medical professionalism: a challenge for medical education

Abstract

The European Federation of Internal Medicine, The American College of Physicians–American Society of Internal Medicine, and the American Board of Internal Medicine recently developed a Charter on Medical Professionalism that they hope will be accepted by physicians around the world. The charter is based on three principles: the primacy of patient welfare, patient autonomy, and social justice. We believe that each of these principles has relevance to medical education and practical implications. Based on the obligations of the charter, we believe that medical educators should consider the attribute of altruism in making admission decisions, enhance moral development in medical schools, develop a curriculum in quality improvement, explore further the use of patient simulation, and renew their efforts to incorporate knowledge of the basic sciences into clinical training. Furthermore, we believe they should ensure that students protect patient confidentiality, ensure role-model appropriate interactions with pharmaceutical companies, teach students how gender, race, and socioeconomic status have an impact on health care, require electives in underserved areas, and incorporate the charter into courses on medical ethics. Medical educators must also ensure that the curriculum and learning climate at their institutions support the values articulated in the charter.