Medical professionalism: perspectives of medical students and residents at Ayder Comprehensive and Specialized Hospital, Mekelle, Ethiopia – a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background

Different forms of unprofessionalism in terms of lack of respect, preventable medical errors, inability to work together with colleagues, and discrimination while providing service these days can be explained by traditional perceptions of who is a good doctor and who is not.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine the perspective of medical students and residents on medical professionalism.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study. A validated tool has been used to collect data from 276 participants. SPSS version 23 has been used to analyze and summarize data.

Results

Only 30% of respondents were females and the rest were males. The overall mean score of professionalism was 174.96 out of 220. There was no significant difference between male and female respondents. However, students from a different phase of the study were significantly different in some of the core elements of professionalism. The role model was indicated as one way of learning professionalism.

Conclusion and implication

The overall level of professionalism was observed to be positive. However, medical education should focus on the core elements of medical professionalism through the teaching and learning process. Medical teachers should also focus on being role models for their students as students consider them to be a means for learning the qualities of professionalism. The teaching institution could strengthen efforts through locating and recognizing professional faculty members who can be effective role models.

Keywords:

• professionalism
• medical students
• residents
• Ayder
• perspective
• Tigray

Acknowledgments

The source of funding for this research was Mekelle University through its annual budget for research capacity building for its faculty members. We thank Mekelle University for funding the research and study participants for their time and attention throughout the study.

Author contributions

All authors contributed toward data analysis, drafting and revising the paper and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.