Professionalism among medical residents in a young second-level university in Iran: a cross-sectional study

Professionalism is a set of behaviors that build trust in physicians' relationships with patients and the public. The aim of this study was to assess professionalism among residents in Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 139 residents recruited through the census method. Data were collected using the American Board of Internal Medicine Professionalism Questionnaire. The first part of the questionnaire was on residents' personal characteristics, and the second part contained fifteen items in the three domains of professionalism, namely excellence, honor/integrity, and altruism/respect. The mean scores of the questionnaire and its domains were calculated and their relationships with residents' personal characteristics were evaluated. The mean scores (± SD) of professionalism and its excellence, honor/integrity, and altruism/respect domains were 4.93 ± 2.4, 5.92 ± 1.85, 4.94 ± 3.39, and 4.35 ± 3.27, respectively (in a range of 0-10). Professionalism had significant relationships only with residents' specialty and gender. The level of professionalism in residents was low, which requires the attention of educational authorities. Moreover, the mean score of professionalism among residents in surgical specialties was significantly lower than non-surgical specialties. Various factors can be considered in this regard and it cannot be concluded that the lower score means worse professional behavior.