The ACGME has wisely mandated that all residencies teach and evaluate 6 "competencies." Professionalism is one of the six that we have emphasized in the Internal Medicine Residency. The American Board of Internal Medicine, American College of Physicians, American Society of Internal Medicine and European Federation of Internal Medicine issued a project statement entitled "Medical Professionalism in the New Millenium: A Physician Charter" (Ann Intern Med 2002; 136: 243-6). This elegant manifesto is the centerpiece of education regarding professionalism and ethical conduct for our residents. To complement that article, residents will study articles from the American College of Chest Physicians "Primer on Medical Ethics" organized and edited by Dr. Manthous. Links to the articles will be provided below as they become available:
1. Introducing the Primer of Medical Ethics; CA Manthous, MD
2. The Inescapable Relevance of Bioethics for the Practicing Clinician; Joseph A. Carrese, MD, MPH and Jeremy Sugarman, MD, MPH, MA
3. Informed Consent in Clinical Medicine, Peter B. Terry, MD, MA
4. The ethical foundations of professionalism: a sociologic history. Harold Sox, MD
6. Futility a concept in evolution. Burns. JP, Truog RD
7. Role of the ethics committee: helping to address values conflicts or uncertainties. Aulisio M, Arnold R.
Future articles will include:
- Responsibilities of physicians around the end-of-life
- Ethics committees and resolving conflicts
- Errors and ethics
- Responsibilities of physicians to individual patients versus society; rationing
- Religion in medicine
- Ethics in medical research
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