Professionalism in Pathology: A Case-Based Approach as a Potential Educational Tool.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Professionalism in Medicine
• Pathology Residency Training

Background:

• Assessing and managing professionalism issues in residency training presents challenges.
• Potential generational or role-based differences exist between faculty and residents regarding unprofessional behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare faculty and resident approaches to professionalism case scenarios.
• To identify potential differences in recognizing and managing unprofessional conduct.

Main Methods:

• Five case scenarios of unprofessional behavior were presented to faculty and residents.
• Electronic polling captured responses, which were then compared between groups.

Main Results:

• Faculty and residents showed consistency within their groups.
• Faculty favored intervention, while residents preferred no or severe responses in some cases.
• Generational or role-based differences in professionalism perceptions were observed.

Conclusions:

• Assessing faculty and resident expectations on professionalism is crucial for education and management.
• Generational differences in recognizing and managing unprofessional behavior were noted, alongside areas of agreement.
• Further research into response discrepancies can inform educational and remediation strategies.