Resumen

PATINO RESTREPO, José Félix. Medical professionalism. rev. colomb. cir. [online]. 2004, vol.19, n.3, pp.146-152. ISSN 2011-7582.

Medicine is an intensely moral endeavor and its practice is based on ethics and professionalism. The social contract of medicine rests on professionalism, but, furthermore, professionalism is both a stablilizing and a morally protective force in society. A professional is the person that engages in one of the learned professions and is characterized by conforming to the technical and ethical standards of a profession. The concept of professionalism incorporates four components: 1) specialized knowledge; 2) autonomy for decision-making processes; 3) commitment of service to society; 4) auto-regulation. The corporate transformation of health care services that takes place mainly in Colombia and the USA, is threatening to destroy medical professionalism. There is a widespread accepted although incipient, ominous social phenomenon: the deprofessionalization of medicine, the transformation of a noble profession into a simple trade to serve corporate interests. But there is global reaction intending to strengthen medical professionalism in the new millennium, and the Medical Professionalism Project has been launched as an international effort with a charter consisting of three principles and 10 commitments.

Palabras clave : medical professionalism; medical profession; medical science; professional competence; medicine; professional practice.

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