Teaching professionalism across cultural and national borders: lessons learned from an AMEE workshop.
BACKGROUND
At the 2009 AMEE meeting in Malaga, Spain, a workshop was held entitled "Medicine's Social Contract with Society - An International Perspective."


OBJECTIVE
One of the objectives of this workshop was to explore the international differences in medicine's social contract with society, which is linked to the nature of professionalism.


METHODS
Nineteen individuals from 11 countries participated. They were asked to compare the expectations of the patients and the general public as well as those of the medical profession with those outlined in a recent publication addressing the issue from a North American perspective.


RESULTS
The results indicated that the role of the healer appears to be universal, with only minor differences being found in different cultures and countries. However, there were differences noted in the role of the professional, which of course must reflect national differences in the social contract in health care.


CONCLUSIONS
These differences must be respected by those teaching professionalism.
Cruess
Sylvia R
SR
Centre for Medical Education, McGill University, Quebec, Canada. sylvia.cruess@mcgill.ca
Cruess
Richard L
RL
Steinert
Yvonne
Y
D054521:Cultural Competency; D004493:Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004501:Education, Medical; D006801:Humans; D011361:Professional Competence; D012941:Social Responsibility; D012955:Societies, Medical