ABSTRACT
Professionalism can be defined as 'a set of values, behaviours, and relationships that underpins the trust the public has in doctors'. The General Medical Council (GMC) is the regulator for medical qualifications and licensing in the United Kingdom, and their documentation makes it clear that medical schools should teach, assess and judge student professionalism. This chapter assumes that our task in undergraduate medical education is to enable each student to graduate with an effective professional persona. It overviews the types of learning methods and assessment that can effectively underpin this development. The chapter shows the learning approaches to professional development that may occur in the modern curriculum, and focuses on some specific examples of recent developments. It briefs a typical medical student's pathway in learning to be professional - they may gain their image of medical practice from their own experiences of healthcare, their family members' experiences as patients or practitioners, media images, or from the aspirations of their teachers.
