[Professionalism: Values and competences in specialized medical training]

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Professional Development
• Professional Ethics

Background:

• Specialist medical training requires healthcare professionals to possess core values and skills.
• Understanding perceptions of these values and skills is crucial for effective training and professional development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the perception of healthcare professionals (tutors, residents, and teaching collaborators) on core values and skills essential for their roles in specialist medical training.

Main Methods:

• A custom-designed questionnaire with 51 variables (scale 1-10) was administered to healthcare professionals across 9 healthcare centers and a referral hospital.
• Data were collected from 287 participants, including tutors, residents, and teaching collaborators.

Main Results:

• Work compliance (8.7/10), ethics in practice (8.6/10), and team respect (8.3/10) were the highest-rated values.
• Communication with patients/families (8.1/10), leadership (7.9/10), and knowledge application (7.8/10) were the top competencies.
• Values were rated higher than competencies (average difference of 0.7 points). Differences observed based on professional category and gender, but not age or primary vs. hospital care setting.

Conclusions:

• A consensus exists among healthcare professionals regarding the core values and competencies influencing professional development in specialist training.
• Perceptions of these values and skills are shaped by professional roles and gender, highlighting areas for targeted training interventions.