Michael Yeo
Extract
Closing Arguments
• Professionalism is in vogue today, as evidenced by the proliferation of discussion in the academic literature and in policy and guidance issued by various medical organizations.
• There is general agreement in the literature that, essentially, to be a medical professional is to profess competence in medicine and to use it primarily for the benefit of patients and communities.
• Although there has been no formal study of whether FPs agree on what professionalism is, there is reason to suppose that they agree on the general concept as it is generally elaborated in the literature and on the moral norms associated with the professional ideal.
• Family physicians might disagree about particular applications of the moral norms that make up the professional ideal, but such disagreement is perfectly compatible with the idea of professional judgment and is indeed a part of it.
Yeo M. (Debate) Do FPs agree on what professionalism is? Yes. Can Fam Physician. 2009 Oct;55:968-971.