Professor Joshua Hordern - Advancing Medical Professionalism

Professor Joshua Hordern reflects on the launch event of 'Advancing Medical Professionalism'.

The pressures and identity crisis afflicting medical professionals are competing with the vocational ideals that led many into the profession. So, how do we prepare and educate students and junior doctors for the realities of modern medicine? And how do we support doctors to improve their practice and maintain professional satisfaction throughout their careers?

Advancing Medical Professionalism, a report from the Royal College of Physicians and the Oxford Healthcare Values Partnership (OHVP), argues that supporting doctors to develop their professional identities can be part of the answer. And that this will also help us address healthcare challenges such as the recruitment and retention of doctors, improving patient care, and managing increasingly complex health systems. This event presented Advancing Medical Professionalism and explored how to take forward the professionalism agenda.