Professionalism in practice: Strategies for assessment, remediation, and promotion

Great clinical teachers promote professional behavior and, although challenging, identify and correct professional lapses in students. Several tools and strategies exist to help clinical teachers assess and remediate professionalism in medical students. Although many lapses in professionalism by students can be effectively managed by the faculty preceptor, some incidents may require discussion with the clerkship director or other representatives from the medical school. Helping medical students develop habits of excellence, humanism, accountability, and altruism is one our great professional responsibilities and is rewarded by the continued trust of patients in their physicians.