Reflections on Professionalism

As a young student pharmacist going through the ritual of the White Coat Ceremony, I couldn’t help to think of the multitude of individuals before me who professed to their families, peers, and colleagues to uphold the standards of their chosen profession. Almost 3 years later as I am about graduate as a pharmacist, I can’t help to wonder what I did profess.  So therefore, I created my top 3 professions, which I list below:

I profess to uphold the dignity of the patient. To allow the patient to make an autonomous decision that is based on true and complete information and free of biasness and to use the ideal of justice, equality for all, in all patient encounters.

I profess to do no harm, in speech, word, and/or deed to my patients, colleagues, or profession.

I profess to focus my attention on continuously learning and teaching.

…

Although, I may have broken an ancient code of our profession by listing my own professions, I thought they were at least interesting enough to share. So I guess take this reflection as a poor excuse of an open letter of to you, my fellow student pharmacists, and to the generations of healthcare professionals before and after me.

On my reflections on professionalism, by taking a liberal view of my second profession, “I profess to do no harm, in speech, word, and deed to my patients, colleagues, or profession,” one can surmise that I will conduct myself in a professional manner always. This includes in my dress, demeanor, speech, and professional relationships.

Like St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach always, if necessary use words.” That quote is words to live (in both the professional and personal life) by.