Religion and Medical Professionalism: Moving Beyond Social and Cultural Nuances.

Abstract

to strive for benevolence and demonstrate non-discriminatory practices. However, the religious underpinning of accountability to a higher being is less clearly defined in Western frameworks. An overarching aim of professionalism frameworks is to provide guidance for physicians in training. The incorporation of Ihsan, which stems from belief in a higher being and the act of displayingone’sinnerfaith,asacompetencyfortraining may prove challenging in a globalized workforce. Itqan is described as an ‘‘ongoing effort’’ to improve behavior, perform beyond the call of duty, and reach a ‘‘perfect or complete state of being,’’ notions that appear to be largely aspirational. 5 There