Nicholas Phillips and Marina Politis question whether the concept of professionalism is always representative of today s medical workforce
Professionalism is a term that most healthcare professionals are familiar with, but defining it can be challenging and often varies by context and person. In recent years, there’s been growing awareness of how the concept of “professionalism” can be exploited to maintain the status quo, perpetuating a regressive norm of who a doctor should be, rather than benchmarking the standards they should follow while practising medicine. These biases can lead to the policing of people s individuality, harming the workforce, and entrenching inequalities and attainment gaps.
When medical students or doctors are told to subscribe to certain norms under the pretext of professionalism, or are accused of being unprofessional for deviating from someone else s cookie cutter ideal, it can feel like we re being held to ransom by outdated ideas of who a doctor is
The recently announced changes to how academic foundation jobs are allocated will not remove the barriers that prevent clinicians from pursuing research, write Marina Politis , Kate Womersley , and Charlotte Summers
The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) recently announced major changes to the specialised foundation programme (SFP) an academic pathway for newly qualified doctors. Applicants will no longer be able to select academic jobs for which to interview; instead, these jobs will be assigned by a computer ranking system that’s not linked to applicants’ previous achievements.1 The introduction of this preference informed allocation system for the main foundation programme was met with frustration in 2023.2 The decision by UKFPO to extend it, and to incorporate the SFP into the allocation process for the main foundation programme rather than having a separate application, will make the NHS a less attractive place to train for doctors who are considering a clinical academic
A whole sector approach to policy change will accelerate integration of sex and gender in research bmj.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bmj.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
From the roller-skater to the slipper maker, Marina Politis spoke to medical students from across the UK and beyond about what they like to do outside of medicine
The medical student identity encompasses far more than juggling placement and exams. Beyond the scrubs, medical students engage in diverse hobbies and interests. The satisfaction and contentment that can be found in the everyday is not to be underappreciated.
Hobbies and passions enrich our lives, reduce stress, and can add layers to our identities helping to alleviate the pressure to fit an idealised mould of what a medical student should look like and who a medical student should be.
Although pursuing interests outside of medicine is not going to deal with the system-wide causes of burnout and mental illness among medical students and doctors, taking time for oneself whether by untangling some yarn in place of a suture, exchanging the stethoscope for the paintbrush, or wild swimming in the nearest loch can still be a val