Students’ Perception on Medical Professionalism: the Psychometric Perspective

A 32 item questionnaire assessing medical professionalism derived from the definition by the American Board Internal Medicine (ABIM) was distributed to 133 year seven Taiwanese medical students. A five-point rating scale of importance was used to identify the extent of their values or beliefs in each item. The three items perceived most important were: accountability to patients, respect for patients and their families; and integrity and prudence. The least important component underlying professionalism was ‘enduring unavoidable risks to oneself when a patient’s welfare is at stake’.