Development of professionalism in medical internship students

ABSTRACT Introduction: the modern doctor must have professional training based on knowledge, skills and conduct anchored in ethics, in addition to self-care and self-awareness. Development: ethical precepts imply values such as integrity, honesty, altruism, humility, respect for diversity and transparency in relation to potential conflicts of interest, which are part of the physician’s professional identity. Medical students in Brazil enter college at a very young age, around 18 to 22 years old, when their personal identity is still being formed. In academic life, students come into contact with the values of their future professional life, which will require specific knowledge, skills and attitudes, in addition to the physician’s professional attitude, expected by society. At this moment, the professional identity is being formed simultaneously with the personal identity. This training process is gradual and must be an active part of the curriculum, not just the hidden curriculum, and teachers must be trained to provide this training. The development of professionalism occurs since the first semester with discussions in the classroom, but it is in the internship that the student will experience these situations in a real-life scenario. There is no single validated model in the literature for the development of professionalism, but several experiences have shown to be promising, such as vignettes and case presentations, simulation, portfolio, conceptual map and narratives, among others. These methods allow for feedback on student practice and emotions. During the internship, the in-service experience provides professional maturation simultaneously to the personal one, leading to the need to promote moments in which students can share their experiences, and reflect on them with teachers who guide this discussion and reflection, showing the best ethical practices to be applied to each situation. Conclusion: there is no single successful formula for professionalism development. The teachers involved with this teaching must be receptive and welcoming, in addition to having professional experience and empathy to guide the student in their own process of building their personal and professional personality.