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Becoming a Professional Doctor

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“Becoming” a Professional

Part of the book series: Lifelong Learning Book Series ((LLLB,volume 16))

Abstract

The chapter begins with a brief historical overview of medical education. This is followed by an examination of the current sociocultural climate in which medical practitioners work. This is a climate which has seen rapid change in the public perception of the medical profession as a result of high-profile cases of ‘bad doctors’, better educated patients as a result of information via the Internet, self-regulation successes and failures and the changing status of doctors. The chapter then highlights the key stages in the journey from a lay person to becoming a medical practitioner. The author identifies seven key stages in becoming a doctor: selection, medical studies, junior doctor, the hidden curriculum, mentors, working in a team and professional maturity. In a detailed examination of each of the stages, the author highlights issues such as medical elitism, theory and practice tensions and junior doctor status.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Kirsty Foster

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  1. Kirsty Foster
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Correspondence to Kirsty Foster .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Lesley Scanlon

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Foster, K. (2011). Becoming a Professional Doctor. In: Scanlon, L. (eds) “Becoming” a Professional. Lifelong Learning Book Series, vol 16. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1378-9_9

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