Medical professionalism: perspectives of medical students and residents at Ayder Comprehensive and Specialized Hospital, Mekelle, Ethiopia – a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Different forms of unprofessionalism in terms of lack of respect, preventable medical errors, inability to work together with colleagues, and discrimination while providing service these days can be explained by traditional perceptions of who is a good doctor and who is not. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the perspective of medical students and residents on medical professionalism. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. A validated tool has been used to collect data from 276 participants. SPSS version 23 has been used to analyze and summarize data. RESULTS: Only 30% of respondents were females and the rest were males. The overall mean score of professionalism was 174.96 out of 220. There was no significant difference between male and female respondents. However, students from a different phase of the study were significantly different in some of the core elements of professionalism. The role model was indicated as one way of learning professionalism. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATION: The overall level of professionalism was observed to be positive. However, medical education should focus on the core elements of medical professionalism through the teaching and learning process. Medical teachers should also focus on being role models for their students as students consider them to be a means for learning the qualities of professionalism. The teaching institution could strengthen efforts through locating and recognizing professional faculty members who can be effective role models.