The Development of Professional Identity

This chapter is based upon the premise that professional identity formation should be 'the central focus in educating tomorrow's physicians'. It addresses the issue of the formation of a professional identity in physicians. In doing so, it stresses that the current emphasis on identity formation has grown out of what has been termed the 'professionalism movement' in medical education. Explicitly addressing the issues of professionalism and professional identity formation in the medical curriculum is a recent phenomenon. Professional identity or identities are acquired through the process of socialisation within medicine's community of practice at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels and throughout practice. The chapter points the way for the development of curricula whose primary objective is the support of individuals as they develop their identities or, to activities within a traditional curriculum that will recognise the importance of professional identity formation and address it specifically in programmes of instruction.