Current Status And Countermeasures Of Medical Professionalism Education For Medical Students In College Of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Medical students as future health-care workers need not only superb medical skills butimportantly also more exalted medical professionalism.At present,China is in a period ofsocial transformation,with social structure re-adjusting and social interests being re-assigned;the people’s ideological and moral values and behavior have undergone significantchanges,leading to fierce collision of personal practical benefits and professional spirit.Thesechanges and collision are affecting the formation and development of the views about theworld,life and value as well as medical professionalism among medical students. Somestudents appeared to lack professional spirit and beliefs, compassion and responsibilities aswell as truthfulness and innovation.They lack compassion and respect for people,pay moreattention to personal achievements and benefits than lives and focus more on technologiesthan social,cultural and moral aspects.Therefore,it is important to strengthen medicalprofessionalism education of medical students,to carry out research on physicianprofessionalism education,and to explore effective models and approaches to medicalprofessionalism education in order to improve the level of ethics and professionalresponsibilities of medical students, and to reshape the professionalism of physicians.This study investigated the current status of medical professionalism education for medicalstudents in Henan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine through literature search,investigation and statistical analysis.The target populations under study were undergraduatestudents in their first to third year of study in medical specialties.Study populations includedstudents majoring in Traditional Chinese Medicine,Traditional Chinese Medicine(Orthopedics),Acupuncture and Massage,Chinese and Western Clinical Medicine,Chineseand Western Clinical Medicine(General Practitioners for rural areas),Chinese and WesternClinical Medicine(Rehabilitation Therapy) and Preventive Medicine(Nutrition and FoodHygiene).Multi-stage sampling method was used, stratified by specialty(first stage) and year of study or grade(second stage),with one class selected from each grade and all students inthe class administered a questionnaire.Out of1020questionnaires administered,954qualifiedquestionnaires were received,leading to a success rate of93.5%.The results of this study showed that among the6survey dimensions from B to G,with a totalof35items,the differences in cognition of18items among students in different specialtiesand grades were of no statistical significance(P>0.05).However,the differences in cognitionof three items,“important factors that determine physician professionalism”,“understandingof physician professional requirements”,and “understanding of the association of physicianprofessionalism with their views about the world”, among different grades and specialtieswere of statistical significance(P<0.05);Furthermore, the differences in cognition of thefollowing12items among different grades were of statistical significance(P<0.05):“understanding of the nature of medicine”,“physician preference in diagnosis and treatment”,“expectations for practicing medical profession”,“insight on how medical profession canreflect the value of life”,“desire for medical professionalism education”,“understanding ofthe people-oriented concept”,“insight on the spirit of physician professionalism and itsformulation”,“awareness of physician personality cultivation”,“view on the role of educationin development of physician professionalism”,“insight on the role of social atmosphere indevelopment of physician professionalism”,“understanding of the role of teachers indevelopment of professionalism”,and “understanding of the association between cognition ofprofessionalism development and practice of professionalism”.In addition,the differences incognition of the following two items among different grades were of statisticalsignificance(P<0.05):“the most important issue of physician professionalism education” and“assessment of the current status of physician professionalism”.The main conclusions of this study are:①the overall cognition of physician professionalismamong students in Henan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine was good, including theunderstanding of the nature of medicine,the desire to practicing medicine, the understandingof physician professionalism, the expectation of physician professionalism education,theinsight on education models for development of medical students’ professionalism and theunderstanding of fundamentals of medical students’ professionalism development;②thethree different grades differed(P<0.05) in50%of the items for both"cognition of themedical profession" and "cognition of physician professionalism”,suggesting the need tostrengthen physician professionalism education among the different grades;③majority ofstudents showed a strong desire to strengthen the education of physician professionalism,and wished to have access to a diversified education means to promote the cultivation of physician professionalism.However, some students showed less positive or even negativeattitude towards physician professionalism education.The results indicate the need to payattention to differences in cognition and attitude among students when performing physicianprofessionalism education;④physician professionalism development requires coordinationand integration of multiple layers and aspects including education, administration and culture,enhanced cooperation with hospitals in research on professionalism,as well as exploration ofways to improve social and cultural personalities and societal responsibilities.The above findings and conclusions are of significance in that they support the importance ofideological and political education in the development of spiritual improvement inChina,which should be the main approach to strengthening the education of physicianprofessionalism.Incorporating physician professionalism education as the task of theideological and political education of students is consistent with the ideological heritage oftraditional Chinese medicine "medicine is benevolence" and "medicine is perfection andsincerity" and further promotes the culture of traditional Chinese medicine.Ideological andpolitical education in medical colleges should focus on professionalism education with lifeeducation as its core, actively carry out research on physician professionalism education anddevelopment,especially research on issues related to improve social and culturalpersonalities of medical students and their societal responsibilities.