Assessment of the Medical Professionalism of Young Healthcare Specialists

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to reach consensus among stakeholders in residency programs on items to be used to assess medical professionalism in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural context. These elements can form the basis for a medical professionalism assessment tool within residency programs.
Methods. In this qualitative study, four 1½ h focus groups were conducted with the participation of 24 medical residents and 15 experts involved in the residency programs of the University of Western Kazakhstan, and the results were analyzed using thematic analysis. Focus group discussions were recorded on audio and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was conducted by two independent coders using a priori framework derived from Professionalism Mini Evaluation Exercise (P-MEX).
Results. The results of the study confirmed the four areas of medical professionalism reflected in P-MEX: doctor-patient relationship, reflective skills, time management, and inter-professional relationship skills. Based on the data obtained, a new sub-domain "Practical Class Attendance" was introduced into the time management domain, proposed by experts to assess the professionalism of residents.
Conclusion. The domains of professionalism in Kazakhstan were similar to previous studies. This study allows to form professionalism in the training of young medical specialists in a multinational state.