M.D. Program

Professionalism Improvement

The Professionalism Improvement Committee (PIC) is composed of faculty, staff and student members. The PIC currently has two main areas of focus:

  1. Through discussion with faculty, staff and students, the Committee works to better understand both the strengths of our Professionalism culture at the UC Davis School of Medicine and the areas in which we can continue to improve. The Committee utilizes these insights to develop skills-based Professionalism courses for our medical students. Five Professionalism seminars are conducted during the first-year curriculum and cover the following topics: Professional Communication; Balancing Medical School and Personal Obligations; Feedback; Professionalism Consultations; and Difficult Patient Interactions. The Committee hopes to develop additional Professionalism seminars.

 

  1. The PIC also offers a Professionalism Consultation service. Students who experience Professionalism lapses may be referred to the Committee by a faculty member for a consultation. Students may also self-refer. In the consultation, a faculty PIC member (usually the chair) meets with the referred student to conduct a root-cause analysis of the Professionalism lapse. The referred student has the option of requesting that a student PIC member also participate in the consultation. The PIC members and the referred student work together to identify the causes underlying Professionalism lapses and develop skills and resource-based recommendations to assist the student in developing their Professionalism skills and decrease the likelihood of future lapses.

 

Professionalism Consultations are designed to be constructive and supportive of the student, rather than punitive. The PIC faculty consultants discuss their consultations with the Committee in a de-identified manner, allowing the PIC to give the consultant additional suggestions by which they may assist and support the referred student. Contributions and insights from the PIC’s student members are especially valuable in developing meaningful recommendations.

For additional information or questions about the PIC, Professionalism Consultations, or to discuss a Professionalism Consultation request, please contact Dr. Laura Kenkel.

Complete a Professionalism Consultation request and send to Dr. Laura Kenkel.