Session 11 - The Medical Profession

Question 1

What the the 3 criteria that make a profession?

Answer 1

Specific claims over a body of knowledge and skills
establishing control over market and exclusion of competitors
control over the professional workplace

Question 2

What was professional self regulation?

Answer 2

those in a profession were seen to have good character and competence and could therefore regulate themselves

Question 3

Describe what is meant by the term socialisation

Answer 3

Individual of a profession would internalise and cooperate with the collective norms of the profession aligning their standards with those of the profession.

Question 4

What is the difference between formal and informal curriculum?

Answer 4

Formal curriculum is knowledge that is tested

Informal is more on knowledge and beliefs which are assumed to be gained but not formally examined

Question 5

What are the benefits of self regulation?

Answer 5

Skills and knowledge of a profession can only be understood by those with the profession. Therefore, it cannot be regulated by those not in the profession
Professionals are assumed to be responsible and trusted to tale proper regulatory action on those who perform work with lack of competence

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of self regulation?

Answer 6

attempt to collect monopoly rents
self serving and strategic
club culture were people look out for each other
does giving groups comfortable and protected positions favour their profession?

Question 7

What have we learnt from ‘bad apples’?

Answer 7

Staff who were informed found it difficult to act
patients were often not believed or discredited
whilst blowers were not believed

Question 8

What are the aims of revalidation?

Answer 8

• Assure patients
• maintain and improve standards
• provide support to doctors on keeping up to date
• encourages patient feedback
• improves clinical governance and standard of care

Question 9

How are doctors revalidated?

Answer 9

• Annual appraisals in workplace
• maintain portfolio
• positive recommendation from responsible officer
• Show evidence that they are fit to practice

Question 10

What are the difficulties in the revalidation process?

Answer 10

• Collecting all required evidence can be difficulty
• Quality of the responsible officer and consistency of the RO
• Old school doctors may be set in their ways
• Issues with technology

Question 11

What is a profession?

Answer 11

A type of occupation able to make distinctive claims about the work, practice and status…there may or may not be formal registration required