Professional Attributes & Learning Environment

Group of medical students

Professional Behaviors and Identity Formation 

To be entrusted to care for patients—whether as medical students under direct supervision or later as residents, under indirect supervision—trainees must demonstrate professionalism at all levels of medical education. At Roseman University College of Medicine, the following professional behaviors are assessed for all medical students:

Respect: Demonstrates regard for others, including patients, families, peers, interprofessional collaborators, faculty, staff, and self in all teaching and professional environments. Embraces shared decision-making, considering patient preferences, values, and experiences.

Curiosity: Shows a commitment to proactively gather information from diverse sources. Perceives details and patterns; experiments creatively with different solutions, approaches, or frameworks towards innovative solutions.

Compassion: Actively listens and responds with empathy and equanimity to the emotions of others facing profound human experiences. Demonstrates emotional regulation, non-judgmental support, and setting healthy boundaries that prioritize self-compassion.

Beneficence: Prioritizes the health, well-being, and interests of others in the practice of medicine. Addresses others’ needs promptly and effectively in roles as trainee, collaborator, scholar/educator, advocate, communicator, and leader.

Discernment: Recognizes personal and professional responsibilities, as well as the limits of their knowledge and skills. Engages in self-reflection to apply skills appropriately, balancing the needs of self and others.

Conscientiousness: Shows thoroughness in data collection, dependability in task completion, and sets realistic, specific goals and actionable plans to achieve them. Practices civility, self-discipline, and accountability.

Critical Thinking: Approaches problems with analytical and investigative skills. Utilizes sound and valid scientific and statistical reasoning, logical evaluation, and inference.

Integrity: Commits to the study and practice of medicine with honesty, transparency, and trust-building. Demonstrates truthfulness and self-awareness in roles as a trainee, collaborator, scholar/educator, advocate, communicator, and leader.

Humility: Maintains confidence appropriate to level of training, balanced with a willingness to learn from others and respect for evidence and truth. Actively sets their own learning goals and is open to giving, receiving, and acting on fair feedback.

Adaptability: Demonstrates flexibility, resilience, and teamwork to remain effective in response to interpersonal, systemic, institutional, and structural changes. Manages ambiguity and uncertainty with emotional regulation and courage.

Fairmindedness: Practices positive regard and open-mindedness toward others. Demonstrates impartiality, respect, and hospitality in roles as a trainee, collaborator, scholar/educator, advocate, communicator, and leader.

Excellence: Strives to actualize full potential across all roles, including trainee, collaborator, scholar/educator, advocate, communicator, leader, and medical expert. Shows grit, determination, and tenacity in achieving goals.”