Medical Professionalism Development of Oliver R. Avison

Abstract

PURPOSE: How does professionalism develop while becoming a great doctor? This study based on the life of Avison, a great doctor, aims to identify the developmental features of an excellence and professionally ethical doctor. METHODS: We chose Oliver R. Avison, who founded the first modern hospital and medical school in Korea, now known as Severance Hospital and Yonsei University College of Medicine. Sixteen pivotal events in Avison's life were extracted, based on 2 standards: self-memory and strong feeling. Further we analyzed Avison' life using a professional development analysis model. RESULTS: Oliver Avison's medical professionalism development was divided into 4 periods: 'Motivating in Medicine period', 'Medical Training period', 'Medical Doctor period', and 'Medical Educating period'. A hallmark of Oliver Avison's medical professionalism development was the growth of motivation and social responsibility, medical knowledge, medical creativity, intra-personal intelligence, and relationship forming abilities. CONCLUSION: To excel in medicine, a medical student should be encouraged to understand his unique intellectual potentials and interest as a medical worker, and try to understand problems in the established domain and field of medicine, to develop new medical symbol systems, and climates