Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28915870›Full record

SynthesisBMC medical education2017

Descriptors for unprofessional behaviours of medical students: a systematic review and categorisation.

Marianne Mak-van der Vossen, Walther van Mook, Stéphanie van der Burgt, Joyce Kors, Johannes C F Ket, Gerda Croiset, Rashmi Kusurkar

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC medical education, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

42 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  11. Review
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  14. Observational
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  17. Characteristics of ADHD in Struggling Residents and Fellows.Journal of graduate medical education · 2024
    Article
  18. Article
  19. Creating a Culture of Teaching and Learning.Medical science educator · 2024
    Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Marianne Mak-van der VossenDepartment of Research in Education, VUmc School of Medical Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. m.mak@vumc.nl.
Walther van MookDepartment of Intensive Care Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Stéphanie van der BurgtDepartment of Research in Education, VUmc School of Medical Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Joyce KorsAVAG Midwifery Academy Amsterdam Groningen, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Johannes C F KetMedical Library, University Library, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Gerda CroisetDepartment of Research in Education, VUmc School of Medical Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Rashmi KusurkarDepartment of Research in Education, VUmc School of Medical Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDeveloping professionalism is a core task in medical education. Unfortunately, it has remained difficult for educators to identify medical students' unprofessionalism, because, among other reasons, there are no commonly adopted descriptors that can be used to document students' unprofessional behaviour. This study aimed to generate an overview of descriptors for unprofessional behaviour based on research evidence of real-life unprofessional behaviours of medical students.

methodsA systematic review was conducted searching PubMed, Ebsco/ERIC, Ebsco/PsycINFO and Embase.com from inception to 2016. Articles were reviewed for admitted or witnessed unprofessional behaviours of undergraduate medical students.

resultsThe search yielded 11,963 different studies, 46 met all inclusion criteria. We found 205 different descriptions of unprofessional behaviours, which were coded into 30 different descriptors, and subsequently classified in four behavioural themes: failure to engage, dishonest behaviour, disrespectful behaviour, and poor self-awareness.

conclusionsThis overview provides a common language to describe medical students' unprofessional behaviour. The framework of descriptors is proposed as a tool for educators to denominate students' unprofessional behaviours. The found behaviours can have various causes, which should be explored in a discussion with the student about personal, interpersonal and/or institutional circumstances in which the behaviour occurred. Explicitly denominating unprofessional behaviour serves two goals: [i] creating a culture in which unprofessional behaviour is acknowledged, [ii] targeting students who need extra guidance. Both are important to avoid unprofessional behaviour among future doctors.

Indexed as

Schools, MedicalHumansInterprofessional RelationsPhysician-Patient RelationsProfessional CompetenceProfessional MisconductStudents, MedicalHumanitiesMedical educationMedical studentsProfessionalismProfessional misconductSystematic reviewUnprofessional behaviour

Identifiers

PMID28915870
PMCPMC5603020

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.