Learning how to be a professional is a vital part of residency training. Although professional socialization starts in medical school, professional attitudes and behaviors are internalized during residency as the resident learns medicine over a period of years of supervised practice. Providing illustrations from McGill University, this chapter will present a model of how professionalism can be taught and evaluated at the postgraduate or residency level and address lessons learned.

THE CONTEXT

Professionalism is a standard for accreditation of postgraduate programs in most Western countries, as found, for example, in the CanMEDS roles for specialty residencies in Canada, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's competencies in the United States. Other countries use documents such as the General Medical Council's “Good Medical Practice” in the United Kingdom or the Charter on Professionalism to outline appropriate professional behaviors for all physicians. As such, the curricular content for a residency program is broadly outlined, and there is an expectation that residents' professional behaviors will be assessed. National residency accrediting bodies usually include a general definition of “professionalism” in their standards. As well, these bodies usually describe elements of professionalism, including concepts relating to professional attributes and humanistic behaviors, professional relationships (e.g., the social contract), the organizational and legal aspects of professionalism (e.g., profession-led regulation), ethical principles and practice, sensitivity to diversity, and physician health and sustainable practice.

In Canada, both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and the College of Family Physicians have mandated all residency programs to teach and evaluate professionalism.