Document Type : Letter to editor

Authors

• Mina Mobasher ¹
• Fatemeh Iranmanesh ²

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, Faculty of Iranian Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

² MSc. Psychology, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.

Abstract

The primary purpose of medical ethics education is to prepare qualified physicians, who can improve the community’s health while respecting the patients’ rights and values (1). To improve the professionalism of medical students and physicians, basic components of professionalism (e.g., communication skills and ethics) and professional characteristics (e.g., accountability, altruism, professional excellence, and moral behavior) should be taken into consideration (3). In other words, ethics education attempts to communicate the governing virtues and values related to physicians’ interactions with patients, colleagues, and community (2). First and foremost, administrators and authorities of educational institutions should openly advocate for professional training and professional commitment; this ensures the success of related programs. Second, the etymological features of professionalism (historical roots, definitions, values, attributes, behaviors, and responsibilities) should be explicitly explained. Third, the learning environment should be in coordination with the objectives of the institution and professional regulations. Also, institutions should act based on their professional and organizational values, such as accountability, impartiality, honesty, integrity, and service, as their behaviors can influence the individual behaviors of learners and physicians.

Keywords

• Art
• Professionalism
• Values
• Medicine