Editorial: Medical Professionalism but Where Are the Role Models?

Abstract

The knowledge boom is at its peak. Under this influence the healthcare profession is undergoing rapid transformation. This transformation has brought along positive changes in professional progress but is accompanied by challenges to many aspects of professional practices.

Doctors now face distracting financial incentives, commercial pressures, loyalty challenges from corporate employers and compulsive financial targets by organizations.¹ There are challenges of the modern world, the evolving ecology of the profession, and the public awareness of the healthcare dynamics, with ever rising expectations from the healthcare providers.^{2 3}  All these pose threats to medical professionalism.

In rural areas of Pakistan, the healthcare workers still face adverse reaction from the public especially affecting the vaccination groups and preventive initiatives.⁴ Mass initiatives for health are viewed with doubt by the people and social media becomes flooded with antagonistic views by the public.

Patients eagerly seek second opinions about doctors’ decisions considering that the decision may have been made only to enhance financial gains by the doctor. Doctors are frequently accused of receiving money from other services where they refer their patients for different treatments. Their recreational tours of foreign countries are allegedly sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies against prescription favors. These and many other allegations and accusations plague the social media and public talk to create a general atmosphere of lack of trust in doctors as a professional community.........................