Literature

Conflicts experienced by medical practitioners, in relation to the maintenance of their professionalism, typically take the form of conflicts between altruism and self-interest. Instances of self-interest lead to problems in the medical profession as those who train and practice medicine are faced with situations that lead them to question the greater utility of the situation in reference to their selves as opposed to their patients. These instances were particularly evident during the initial period of the 20th century as membership in the medical profession was not placed under stringent standards. As Kevin Weiss states, the medical profession during the 1900s lacked established standards that ensured the patients well-being in the hands of medical practitioners (867-868). He states, Reflecting back to the early 1900smedical training to a large extent was that of a trade. With some type of apprenticeship after medical school, anyone could self-declare themselves a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation (Weiss 867). Conditions nowadays however have changed as a result of the implementation of various guidelines of professionalism that aims to instill on a medical practitioner the value of his practice as well as his role in the maintenance of the public good.

    Despite the creation and implementation of these standards, there has been a continuous conception of the lack of professionalism within the field of medicine. Walther Mook et. al. point out that this may be attributed to the lack of focus on professionalism in the education of medical students. In Training and Learning Professionalism in the Medical School Curriculum, they point out that medical students are not sufficiently aware of the implications of the concept (para. 9). He states, Most medical students have no fundamental understanding of what it means to be a physician and what constitutes the core professional values (Mook et. al. para.9). As a remedy to this problem, Mook et. al. argue for the necessity of enhancing the medical students awareness and knowledge of professionalism through its incorporation in the various parts of the medical curriculum (para. 9). One of the means of doing this is through the introduction of the various manifestations of professionalism in medicine in literary works.

    Different literary works provide a positive viewpoint on the development of professionalism in the medical profession. These works include Gabriel Garcia Marquezs Love in the Time of the Cholera, Awul Gawandes Complications, B. Pyms A Few Green Leaves, Samuel Shems The House of God, and Susan Sontags Illness as Metaphor and AIDs and Its Metaphors. Although these works provide different accounts of the medical profession, their primary similarity may be traced to their conception of the medical practice as a profession that enhances the public good.

    Before proceeding with the discussion, it is of primary importance to specify the different components of medical professionalism. Such is the case since specifying these components will enable a clearer demarcation of the means through which the abovementioned literary works are able to present a redeeming view of the medical profession. Professionalism, as it is defined by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), refers to the manifestedcommitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to a diverse patient population (2). According to ACGME, the practice of professionalism requires the resident to demonstrate the following
(1) Respect, compassion, and integrity a responsiveness to the needs of patients and society, and the profession and a commitment to excellence and on-going professional development. (2) A commitment to ethical principles pertaining to provision or withholding of clinical care, confidentiality of patient information, informed consent, and business practices. (3) Sensitivity and responsiveness to patients culture, age, gender, and disabilities. (2)