I’m writing this article as I finish up Commissioned Officer Training for the U.S. Air Force. This five-week long training course has represented a significant departure from the content I learned during my first year in medical school. Instead of the more familiar physiology and pathology of various organ systems recorded through Panopto and watched at two times speed, I am now learning the general expectations of officers serving in the Air Force, provided through mandatory in-person lectures.
That being said, both my first year of medical school and my (nearly complete) five weeks of officer training covered standards for professionalism. There are many differences between the standards of professionalism for physicians compared to those for members of the military. However, in studying the three tenets the Air Forces touts as its core values, which are intended as guidelines for ethical decision making, I thought it was useful to reflect on these values and consider how they can be applied to the practice of medicine, whether that be in the civilian or military setting.
- “Integrity First.” Integrity is fundamental to the practice of medicine in that it is necessary to maintain a meaningful provider/patient relationship. A patient needs to trust their physician in order to feel comfortable telling them about their health problems and needs to trust them even more to be willing to take their medical advice. A key element of creating a trusting relationship with one’s patients is admitting when you are not sure of the answer to a patient’s question. This ensures that you don’t risk losing your credibility by being wrong, but also is reflective of a humility that can make patients feel more comfortable with their doctors.
- “Service Before Self.” Service, or the desire to help others, is a common theme in medical student’s answer to the question, “Why do you want to be a doctor?” Those of us studying to become physicians also recognize that we have signed up for a lifestyle that will frequently require putting our patient’s needs before our own. Serving others is simply intrinsic to the practice of medicine.
- “Excellence in All We Do.” Being a good doctor requires being excellent at all aspects of our job, be that bedside manner, patient advocacy, medical knowledge, or procedures. There is a reason why independent practice of medicine requires four years of medical school followed by a minimum 3 years of residency. A basic level of competence at our jobs is needed to maintain a medical license. However, striving to continue to advance our knowledge and our abilities and to provide the highest quality of care possible to our patients should be a goal of any doctor who wants to do everything in their power to help and support their patients.
Michelle Arnold is member of the The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, Class of 2022. She received her Bachelor’s degrees in Biochemistry and Spanish from Arizona State University in 2015 and a Master’s degree in Applied Ethics and the Professions (Biomedical and Health Ethics) also from Arizona State University in 2017. She has interests in medical humanities, patient-provider relationships, and improving healthcare for underserved communities.