Professionalism
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines professionalism as the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person. Yet the White Paper on Pharmacy Student Professionalism says it is displaying values, beliefs and attitudes that put the needs of another about your personal needs. There is still another definition. The Medical Professionalism Project says professionalism is the basis of medicine's contract with society. It demands placing the interests of patients above those of the physician, setting and maintaining standards of competence and integrity, and providing expert advice to society on matters of health. In my opinion, a person's attitude, values, and behaviors are influenced greatly by the environment they grew up in. With every person's environment being different, every person's view of professionalism would be different. So since these traits are entwined in our personality, they cannot be taught to an individual. Also, I believe that the definition of professionalism is different for every person considering every single person's morals and values of life are different.
The accusation of pharmacy schools becoming trade schools is an outrage. The statement was made signaling that pharmacists have the ability to stop the growing trend. With all of the laws and restrictions put upon us, how are we supposed to be viewed as a medical field? To make matters worse, most pharmacists and pharmacy students do not truly believe in our medical field status: read the scripts, fill the prescription, and send the patient on their way. How do we expect the patients to believe in the duty of our field whe ...