Postcards from our students--reflections on professionalism and ethics.

摘要

During their junior medicine rotation, our students are asked to post to Blackboard (an online student forum) an anonymous essay about an issue of professionalism or ethics, either inspiring or troubling. In many ways, these vignettes are like postcards, written by visitors describing foreign cultures and norms. They represent a way for the students to debrief, but also provide an opportunity for us, as faculty, to reflect upon the way we practice and teach medicine. Many postings-like postcards from exotic or historic places-are inspiring stories of residents and faculty extending themselves for their patients. Unfortunately, unlike typical postcards, there are also essays that are troubling or provoking and challenge us to consider how we could improve the professional and ethical environment on our teams.