Perceptions of professionalism in dentistry - a qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Professional Competencies

Background:

• Professionalism is a core competence for dental practitioners.
• Dental educators need a clear definition and scope of professionalism for effective teaching and assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify concepts and themes of professionalism within the field of dentistry.
• To develop a conceptual model for dental professionalism.

Main Methods:

• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposefully selected participants.
• Qualitative framework analysis was employed to identify emerging themes.

Main Results:

• Four key themes emerged: professionalism as a higher-order competence, context-dependent expression, the necessity of reflection, and the inclusion of tacit and overt personal attributes.
• A conceptual model of dental professionalism was developed based on these themes.

Conclusions:

• Participants perceive professionalism as the reflection and reconciliation of professional practice, demonstrating accountability.
• The developed definition and model offer a framework for creating educational and assessment systems for dental professionalism.