title: Turkish students' perceptions of professionalism at the beginning and at the end of medical education: a cross-sectional qualitative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Medical students' perceptions of professionalism might reflect the impact of the current educational processes on their professional identity development. This study focuses on Ankara University Faculty of Medicine students' perceptions of 'good doctor' along with the factors effective on the formation of these perceptions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six focus groups with 59 medical students from Grade-1 and Grade-6 were held. The transcripts of discussions were analyzed thematically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results regarding 'being a good physician' mostly mirrored the findings of previous studies framing the medical professionalism concept. The thematic pattern of the discussions on the relation between professional development and medical education suggests that students suffer from a gradual erosion of perception during medical education. That the education cannot either change the person for the better or might downgrade the person instead of improving her/him were shared by participants from both grades. Students consider clinical practice and role models two main variables determining the person's qualification as a professional.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The formal and hidden programs determine the quality and efficacy of the professional education together. Attempts to restructure medical education must recognize the reciprocal dynamics between these two components and, thus, should carefully work out the practical aspect of the educational processes.
authors: Department of Medical History and Ethics, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey; kavas@ankara.edu.tr.
authors: Mustafa Volkan
authors: MV
authors: Kavas
authors: Department of Medical Education and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Meral
authors: M
authors: Demirören
authors: Department of Medical Education and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey.
authors: Ayşen Melek Aytuğ
authors: AM
authors: Koşan
authors: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Süleyman Tuna
authors: ST
authors: Karahan
authors: Department of Medical History and Ethics, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Neyyire Yasemin
authors: NY
authors: Yalim
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D014421:Turkey
keywords: hidden curriculum; medical education; professional identity development; professionalism; role models