Module 1.1: What does it mean to be a doctor?

1. Attitude, Ethics & Communication
(AETCOM) competencies
Learning modules for Professional year I
Module 1.1: What does it mean to be a
doctor?
DR. RAJNEE
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Physiology
SNMC, Jodhpur

2. Competencies addressed
Indian Medical Graduates (IMG) should be able to:
1. Enumerate and describe professional qualities
and roles of a physician
2. Describe and discuss the commitment to lifelong
learning as an important part of physician
growth
3. Describe and discuss the role of a physician in
health care system
4. Identify and discuss physician’s role and
responsibility to society and the community that
she/ he serves
DR. RAJNEE

3. Introduction
• Medical profession is a noble and one of the most
sought- after careers worldwide.
• It is important for new entrants to get a holistic
view of their profession, its ups and downs, its
responsibilities and its privileges.
• It is important to start this discussion early in
their careers when their minds are still fresh with
the thrill of joining medical profession. Such a
discussion will help them remember the big
picture through the program and remind them
why they have chosen to be doctors.
DR. RAJNEE

4. Professional qualities of a physician LQ
• Moral intellect practices with responsibility and
accountability – he /she is applying medical knowledge
and skills in treating patients with uttermost sincerity,
devotion, dedication, commitment, selfless service,
sense of responsibility and readiness for accountability
for the positive happening or negative mishaps.
• Ethical and legal codes of conduct – he/she has
adequate knowledge of medico-legal, ethical and
humanitarian principle influencing health care.
• Personal attributes – he/she is kind, compassionate,
accommodative, humanistic, honest, a better listener
towards patient’s misery, and provides peace, solace
and confidence to the patient for speedy recovery.
DR. RAJNEE

5. Professional qualities of a physician (cont.)
• Knowledge and skills – A good doctor shall
use all their wits and knowledge, employing
all their clinical acumen and skills in saving
patient’s health and imparting new life.
• Practices pertaining to specialization – a good
doctor limits their practice to skills and
specialization achieved by them and never
indulge in any medical practice outside his
/her domain.
DR. RAJNEE

6. Professional qualities of a physician (cont.)
• Professional conduct – a good doctor
maintains his /her conducts towards his/her
patients, his /her professional colleagues and
community as per professional conduct of
noble and dignified approach.
• Avoids publicity - a good doctor is humble and
believes in services rather than publicity.
• Relevant referrals – a good doctor never
makes unnecessary referrals for investigations
or opinion unless condition warrants need in
true sense.
DR. RAJNEE

7. Professional qualities of a physician (cont.)
• Growth of the medical profession – a good
doctor is committed to Growth of the medical
profession by his/her selfless services of
patients and society.
• Adequate knowledge of disease and
healthcare delivery – a good doctor has
adequate knowledge to differentiate between
clinical, behavioral and social perspective in
order to address patient’s problems.
DR. RAJNEE

8. Professional qualities of a physician (cont.)
• Participation in national and regional
healthcare program – a good doctor has
adequate knowledge of national and regional
healthcare polices and modes to impart an
economically viable and effective patient-
oriented healthcare.
• Communication skills – a good doctor is
excellent communicator and elicits history of
disease from patients and or his/her relatives
and this is immensely helpful in patient’s
management.
DR. RAJNEE

9. Professional qualities of a physician (cont.)
• Practices with caution and care – a good doctor
maintains accurate , detailed and appropriate
records of the patients treated by them in order
to facilitate follow-up management and if
required in case of medical litigation and
administrative frameworks.
• Altruism - a good doctor shall ensure patient
interest over self; especially their wishes in
reference to preferred line of management.
Thus, a good doctor is one who is successful in
disease prevention, health promotion and cure,
pain and distress alleviation, and able to impart safe
rehabilitation and palliative services.
DR. RAJNEE

10. Summary : qualities of a good doctorsSQ
• A good doctor is caring and loving, compassionate and kind.
• Comforting, assuring, alleviating patient’s misery with conscientious
mind.
• Listening, accommodating, comforting, energizing patient with
peace and confidence.
• Being humanistic, honest, practicing confidentiality in practices
bears fruitful concordance.
• Nurture sense of hope, confidence, recovery, rejuvenation,
renewing a revive.
• Using all his/her clinical acumen and skills in saving patient’s health
imparting new life.
• Imbibe with knowledge, optimism, persuasive nature and intellect
philosophy.
• Selflessly serving sick and destitute with all his/her might, potential,
ability and generosity.
Thus, a student of today will be the doctor of tomorrow and he/she
should maintain the dignity and higher standard of attitude, behavior
and ethical practices as a part of this noble profession.DR. RAJNEE

11. Commitment of lifelong learning – an
important part of a physician’s growth
• Introduction - Continuous lifelong learning of doctors
helps in improving effective healthcare delivery.
• Definition – “lifelong learning is the progression and
development of human potential by a continuously
supportive process which empowers and provides
impetus to a person in acquiring knowledge, values,
skills, and understanding so as to successfully employ
these with confidence and creativity in all arising
circumstances and changing environments during
course of his/her lifetime in the profession he/she
practices”.
DR. RAJNEE

12. Commitment of lifelong learning – an important part of
a physician’s growth (cont.)
Needs and scopeLQ
• For self-assessment of their knowledge and skill
– continue learning and updating and upgrading
their existing knowledge and skills
• For employing gained knowledge in clinical
practice – reflects their potential of introspection
and utilization of experiences
• For keeping update with recent advances –
employ various techniques in updating their
knowledge and these include participation CME,
seminars, conferences and symposium etc.
DR. RAJNEE

13. Commitment of lifelong learning – an important part of
a physician’s growth (cont.)
• For choosing a career pathway – a characteristics trait
of lifelong learning of medical education eventually
helps in to recognize and choose a suitable career
pathway.
• For employing the changed dynamics of the patient
healthcare – through advancement in scientific
technology and innovations.
• For matching local healthcare needs - local area
healthcare needs depending on the disease prevalent
in those areas, innovation in machinery methodology
of investigative protocols and modification treatment
regime of diseases, state and nation legislative
initiatives.
DR. RAJNEE

14. Commitment of lifelong learning – an important part of
a physician’s growth (cont.)
• For effective communication and discussion with
fellow doctors - during the treatment of patient a
chain of doctors are involved, proper communication is
necessary for effective health care.
• For employing standard of patient’s healthcare
treatment protocol – a physicians should be updated
with adequate knowledge of statistic and
interpretation to meet standards for patients.
• For updating with changing medical laws and ethics –
ethics guideline in clinical practices are constantly
upgraded and amended hence it has been must for
physicians to update their knowledge.
DR. RAJNEE

15. Commitment of lifelong learning – an important part of
a physician’s growth (cont.)
Importance for lifelong learning by physicianSQ
• Lifelong learning reflects person’s behavior
and personality - an optimistic person always
seeks for knowledge and self-motivated
enhances his/her knowledge, skill and
personality traits.
• Self-learning or learning at workplace –
important mode of active interactive learning
by discussing with your senior professional,
peers and supervisors.
DR. RAJNEE

16. Importance for lifelong learning by physician(CONT.)
• It helps in personal career progression
through performance appraisals by superior
and inputs from colleagues
• Evidence-based practice and learning – it
helps in making sensible decisions by
analyzing the choicest patient-oriented
evidence with patient-centred care available
via research evidences and meta-analysis.
DR. RAJNEE

17. Commitment of lifelong learning – an important part of
a physician’s growth (cont.)
Conclusion
• Lifelong learning helps to gain confidence in
practice.
• Newly gained knowledge and skills is helpful in
managing patient
• Updated knowledge is supportive of best
evidence-based healthcare delivery outcomes
DR. RAJNEE

18. Role of physician in healthcare systemLQ
Introduction
• The physician’s primary role is to treat and
manage diseases, health, educates his/her
patients, relatives and the health of staff,
• participating in implementation of national
health programs and contributes towards
preventive and prophylaxis managements
especially in epidemics and prevention of
spreading on communicable diseases.
DR. RAJNEE

19. Role of physician in healthcare system (cont.)
• Role as team leader – it plays a diverse role in
coordinating, directing ,communicating
,supervising, staffing and imparting effective
health care delivery.
• Treatment and management of disease – its
principal role of a physician
• Catering health delivery - role is important in
primary (at village level) , secondary (at
district level ) and tertiary health care settings
DR. RAJNEE

20. Role of physician in healthcare system (cont.)
• Role in health education – provides knowledge and
help in sharpening the skill of work force (nurses ,
technicians etc.)
• Role as promoter of health economics and of social
entrepreneur - ensure economically viable healthcare
delivery preventing wastage of government
expenditures
• Role in generating healthcare dataSQ – conduct survey
and community-based statistical research to evaluate
benefits of healthcare delivery.
• Role in prevention of diseases - promotes and
recommends lifestyle changes in management of
diseases.
DR. RAJNEE

21. Role of physician in healthcare system (cont.)
• Role in improving quality of life and lifespan – by
providing therapeutics , curative , preventive and
rehabilitative services
• Role in management of epidemics – timely
management and awareness by doctors can help
in reducing risk of catastrophic situation as in
epidemics
• Role as behavioral therapist in communitySQ -
practicing with humanistic approach helps
building-in-trust in patient stands as behavioral
therapy in community- based healthcare.
DR. RAJNEE

22. Role of physician in healthcare system (cont.)
• Role in building professionalism and respect towards
doctor communitySQ - abiding by codes of ethics
establishes high ethical standards and this help in
looking forwards towards doctors with respect, trust
and confidence by community member.
• Role as trainers of present and future generation of
doctor for community - developing man-force for
future healthcare delivery.
• Role as authoritative sources on clinical standards - –
physicians continues lifelong learning to update their
medical knowledge, patient may approach with local
health issue and physician can work as health advocate
to convey community request to local/state
administration
DR. RAJNEE

23. Role of physician in healthcare system (cont.)
• Participation in national healthcare programSQ – implementing
various national health care program in community such as a family
welfare program, national , tuberculosis management program,
national program for prevention of malaria, leprosy, tuberculosis,
etc.
• Participating as social worker - provides honorary services in
shelter homes, home for the aged, slums, prison, as a health
provider NGOs, etc.
• Role in changing dynamics of the patient healthcareSQ –
advancement in scientific technology and innovations makes it
essential for physicians to upgrade and imbibe the change dynamics
and its delivery
• Provides services matching local area healthcare needs - local area
healthcare needs depending on the disease prevalent in those
areas, innovation in machinery methodology of investigative
protocols and modification treatment regime of diseases, state and
nation legislative initiatives.
DR. RAJNEE

24. Role of physician towards society and
community LQ
• Provides services matching local area healthcare
needs – depending on the disease prevalent in local
areas, innovation machinery methodology of
investigation protocols and modified treatment
regimes of disease, and state of national legislative
• Medical expert - Primary role is diagnosing and
treating the patients in society.
• Healthcare communicator at community level – role
in education as he provides knowledge and help in
sharpening the skill of work-force and other members
of medical health care team.
DR. RAJNEE

25. Role of physician towards society and community (cont.)
• Role as collaborator at community level – regularly
attend CME, conferences and workshop and exchange
knowledge and skill gained with professional
colleagues regionally and nationally
• Role as community administrator and social
entrepreneur – ensure economically viable healthcare
delivery preventing wastage of government
expenditures
• Role as planner for future healthcare strategies in
society – conduct survey and community-based
statistical research to evaluate benefits of healthcare
delivery .
DR. RAJNEE

26. Role of physician towards society and community (cont.)
• Role as social and preventive medicine care
provider - employs preventive measure
strategies to prevent spreading of diseases in
community
• Role in improving quality of life and lifespan
on community – promotes and recommends
lifestyle changes in management of diseases.
DR. RAJNEE

27. • Role as a behavioral therapist in community –
practicing with humanistic approach helps
building-in-trust in patient stands as
behavioral therapy in community- based
healthcare.
• Role in building professionalism and respect
towards doctor community – abiding by
codes of ethics establishes high ethical
standards.
Role of physician towards society and community (cont.)
DR. RAJNEE

28. Role of physician towards society and community (cont.)
• Role as trainers of present and future generation
of doctors for community – developing man-
force for future healthcare delivery.
• Role as scholar and health advocate – physicians
continues lifelong learning to update their
medical knowledge, patient may approach with
local health issue and physician can work as
health advocate to convey community request to
local/state administration
DR. RAJNEE

29. Assignments for evaluation
• Discuss the professional qualities of physician
• Discuss the need, scope and importance of
lifelong learning by physician
• Discuss the role of physician towards
healthcare delivery
• Discuss the role of physician towards society
and community
DR. RAJNEE

30. Short answer questions
• What are the qualities of a good doctor?
• Enlist qualities of a good physician
• Enlist importance for lifelong learning by the physician
• Discuss the lifelong learning methodologies for a doctor
• Discuss the role of a physician as a behavioral therapist
• Enlist few national health programs in which a physician is
expected to participate
• How can a physician build professionalism and command
respect towards doctor community?
• How can a physician accommodate to changing dynamics
of patient healthcare?
• How is a physician involved in generating healthcare data?
• Enlist the role of a physician towards society and
community?
DR. RAJNEE