Factors Which Affected Medical Professionalism in Internal Medicine Residents; Any Differences between the First and Last Year Residents
Pongkulkiat P, MD1,2, Apichatvullop T, MD1, Sawanyawisuth K, MD, PhD1,2,3
Affiliation : 1 Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand 2 North-Eastern Stroke Research Group, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand 3 Sleep Apnea Research Group, Research Center in Back, Neck and Other Joint Pain and Human Performance, Research and Training Center for Enhancing Quality of Life of Working Age People, and Research and Diagnostic Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (RCEID), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Objective : Medical professionalism is one of core competencies for medical students and residents. It may be improved during the
residency training. The present study aimed to evaluate if factors affected medical professionalism in internal medicine residents;
any differences between the first and last year residents.
Materials and Methods : The present study was a cross-sectional study and conducted at Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,
Khon Kaen University. The residents in internal medicine year 1 (PGY1) and year 3 (PGY3) were recruited in the study. All participating
residents were informed about medical professionalism by the researchers and provided a self-reported questionnaire regarding
factors associated with their medical professionalism in practice. The questionnaire comprised of ten potential factors which
affected medical professionalism. The residents were asked to rate each factor by using a range of 0 to 10; while 0 was the least and
10 was the most. Scores of each factor were compared between both groups (PGY1 and PGY3) by descriptive statistics.
Results : There were 15 PGY1 and 14 PGY3 participated in the study. Out of 10 factors, there was no significant different between
both groups. The PGY1 scored knowledge as the highest score which affected their medical professionalism (9.20/10), while the
PGY3 ranged personality and attitude as the most influential factor for medical professionalism (9.07/10).
Conclusion : Factors which affect medical professionalism in internal medicine residents were no different between the first and
last year residents.
Keywords : Knowledge, Personality, Attitude
