PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jonathan Martin
AU  - Margaret Lloyd
AU  - Surinder Singh
TI  - Professional attitudes: can they be taught and assessed in medical education?
AID  - 10.7861/clinmedicine.2-3-217
DP  - 2002 May 01
TA  - Clinical Medicine
PG  - 217--223
VI  - 2
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/2/3/217.short
4100  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/2/3/217.full
SO  - Clin Med2002 May 01; 2
AB  - The medical profession is under increasing scrutiny with regard to the undesirable attitudes and behaviours of some of its members. Despite the setting of objectives for professional attitudes, it remains unclear how these can be taught and assessed. Having defined ‘attitudes’, we consider some of the influences upon the development of professional attitudes within medicine. We then review possible ways of encouraging desirable attitudes and behaviours. Finally, we review and critique the main types of attitude assessment. We conclude that attitudes are complex, that the influence of medical culture is crucial, and that feasible assessment tools have yet to be developed.