Professional Growth and Development

The purpose of this chapter is to explore why a medical professional's career is one of lifelong learning and growth. Even after the period of formal education is over, continuous development and maintenance of skills is essential. Along with this, attention is also directed towards the improvement of health care services at the individual and general levels.

Ethics and Professionalism

The purpose of this chapter is to explore one of the key factors for the deficiencies in the modern health care system: the supposed unprofessional behavior of doctors. This could take several forms ranging from clinical detachment at its mildest to criminal negligence at it severest. By studying the reasons for the lack of professionalism, one could devise ways to rectify the situation and make health care truly patient centered.

Surgical Training

The purpose of this chapter is to explore how the acquisition of operative skills is an important aspect of the training of doctors. As multifaceted as the philosophy of medicine, surgery too has numerous aspects, much more than the simple act of cutting and suturing. Thus, competence in surgical skills involves considerable investment in terms of time and effort.

History of Modern Medicine

The purpose of this chapter is to understand the problems in health care today, and the need to trace the history of medicine to its roots. Methods of evolution of medical practice have a lot to say about how training of medical professionals must be carried out. The history of medicine is both fascinating in scope yet elementary in application. In other words, medicine has always been about the patient and no one but the patient.

Medicine Residency Training

The purpose of this chapter is to explore how issues with medicine and health care are pervasive all over the globe- to a lesser or greater extent. The twin contexts of the quality of and access to health care and medical services are entangled in the deeper complexities of the way the health care machinery works. Problems with governance, political instability and unrest, environmental factors and legal dilemmas add to the already chaotic nature of health care establishments, where patients and doctors find themselves surrounded and directed by technology most of the time. The doctor- patient relationship suffers due to multiple factors ranging from a ‘lack of satisfaction' from the medical consultation to issues of affordability and funding.

Research

The purpose of this chapter is to explore why for any subject of study to move forward, research is absolutely necessary. Without it, one must only follow what others have previously decided, without question or concern. Medical professionals are always open to scrutiny, so they must make research one of their principal concerns. Research thus constitutes a key component of medical professionalism in the current era of patient centered and evidence based medicine. Resident doctors must especially be equipped with the skills of critical appraisal.

Curriculum Development

The purpose of this chapter is to understand that any residency training program for medical professionals needs to take into account their role as both service providers as well as students. As service providers, particular attention must be paid towards their interaction with health consumers. The tenets of the doctor- patient relationship must be practiced all the time. Also, as they are students, the various modalities by which their learning could be enhanced must be implemented and monitored by the teaching and supervising faculty at each and every stage.

Management Skills and Leadership

The purpose of this chapter is to explore why juggling all the different and demanding roles of a medical professional is by no means an easy task. Perhaps the biggest challenge for doctors is time management and multitasking. Much of this is part and parcel of an ordinary doctor's life, but due to the peculiar nature and complex paradigms of modern health care services, special emphasis must be put on empowering fledgling medical professionals with such managerial skills. Resident medical physicians and surgeons should at least be aware of the countless opportunities available as well as how to get the best out of them.

Personal Issues

The purpose of this chapter is to explore why in the medical profession, many of the ills seen in society among the general population find strong reflection. In the course of treating patients, doctors often tend to take their own health and well- being lightly. This may not only pose problems for doctors but also their patients. These issues are especially rampant and serious among resident doctors. They must be promptly detected and measures taken to deal with them.