PROFESSIONALS PHYSICIANS CHARACTERISTICS AUTHORITY

TO BE A PROFESSIONAL A PROFESSIONAL IS ONE WHO –WHILE ADHERING TO A COLLECTIVE STANDARD OF CONDUCT TO WHICH HE/SHE IS BOUND BY THE COMMUNITY –ORDINARILY SETS ASIDE HIS/HER PERSONAL PREFERENCES THEREBY EXERCISING SELF-RESTRAINT –TO MEET THE INTERESTS/NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL SERVED GUIDED BY THE PRINCIPLE OF BENEFICENCE –AS CHOSEN BY THAT INDIVIDUAL GUIDED BY THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTONOMY

THE PROFESSIONAL IN MEDICAL PRACTICE

PROFESSIONAL AS PATIENT ADVOCATE “SPEAKS TO”---“SPEAKS FOR”---”DEFENDS” STANDS BY THE PATIENT IN FACE OF DISEASE ADDRESSES VULNERABILITY FROM THE VANTAGE POINT OF EXPERT KNOWLEDGE PROTECTS VALUE LIFE OF PATIENT PROMOTES PATIENT AUTONOMY COMPENSTATES FOR FACTORS DIMINISHING AUTONOMY –IGNORANCE –CONFUSION –PAIN –FEAR –AGE –COMPROMISED MENTATION –ISOLATION

THE AUTHORITY OF THE PHYSICIAN PATIENT’S TRUST IN THE PHYSICIAN PLEDGE TO THE HEALING PROFESSION –CARING AND CURING EXPERT KNOWLEDGE EXPERIENCE WITH MALADIES CLINICAL JUDGMENT PROFESSIONAL VIRTUES DIRECT CONTACT WITH PATIENT PRESENCE TO PATIENT –FOCUSED ATTENTION –COMPANIONSHIP ON DIFFICULT JOURNEYS