by Carol Hagen
We talk a lot about “professionalism” at Career Services and, on the whole, people seem to listen. The email I receive is invariably gracious and thoughtful and I routinely conduct mock interviews with well tailored and poised applicants. But what about outside the boundaries of “sincerely” and a clean white shirt? The qualities of professionalism beyond the reach of Emily Post are also important, particularly for pre-health students.
While working or volunteering in a clinical environment or research setting, it is vital that you conduct yourself in a professional manner. Lapses in professionalism make a strong impression on faculty and staff, not only in terms of your personal relationship with supervisors and colleagues, but in maintaining clinical and research opportunities for other pre-health students. How eager is Professor X going to be to offer a lab position to an undergraduate after two people have quit when mid-terms came up? Does the hospital need to give access to volunteers who bring their friends along with them to a shift or disregard other rules, all of them important?
Know that health professions schools take professionalism amongst their students very seriously. Students are routinely written up by faculty when areas of concern emerge and studies have shown that medical students who demonstrate unprofessional behavior are more likely to receive disciplinary action from state medical boards down the road. Unite for Sight has a super (and free) online guide to volunteer ethics and professionalism — read it! Here are some important points to keep in mind:
- Consider in advance whether the opportunity is a good fit. It’s unfortunate when volunteers do not fulfill their commitment to serve because they find their time unsatisfying.
- Show up on time, be polite, and ask questions when uncertain. Follow all rules and procedures.
- Be humble and open to all opportunities to learn.
- Respect boundaries and your work environment. Patients are not friends. Flip-flops, for example, (and I do love them) are not appropriate or safe in the hospital or lab.
- If you make a mistake, tell somebody. It won’t be easy, but communicating errors is seen as a sign of maturity and professionalism.
Access to a professional research or clinical environment is a privilege. Maintaining a positive attitude and open communication with your supervisors will help you make the most of your opportunity and ensure that others will do so in the future.
