Name
FACULTY AS STEWARDS OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS IN MEDICAL EDUCATION: A
CALL TO ACTION
Date & Time
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 10:19 AM - 10:34 AM
Location Name
Estes A
Speakers
Authors
Rosemary B. Bassey-Linus, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/ Northwell, Hempstead, New York
Alice Akunyili, Roseman University of Health Sciences, Las Vegas, Nevada
Presentation Topic(s)
Other
Description
PURPOSE
Professional standards, including ethical conduct, accountability, and
communication, are core outcomes of undergraduate medical education (UME),
yet studies show that students’ perceptions of professionalism are shaped
more by observing faculty behavior and learning climate than by formal
curricula. Persistent reports of mistreatment, unprofessional role modeling,
and misaligned assessment practices suggest that faculty development often
fails to support professional identity formation. This project synthesizes
evidence on how faculty influence professional standards in UME and
identifies leverage points for change.
METHODS
We conducted a narrative review of empirical and theoretical work on
professionalism, professional identity formation, and faculty development in
UME (2010 - 2025). Sources were mapped and iteratively coded to identify
patterns in faculty behaviors, institutional culture, and assessment practices
shaping learners’ professional standards. An expert group of medical
educators then refined and prioritized themes for their relevance and
feasibility in practice.
RESULTS
Three interrelated gaps emerged. (1) Role modeling is powerful but largely
unexamined, with minimal support for faculty to recognize and adjust the
informal and hidden curricula they create. (2) More faculty development is
required to increase confidence in addressing lapses in professional
behavior, giving values-based feedback, and assessing professionalism in
authentic settings. (3) Institutional support for faculty is needed, with
workshops and policy documents rarely integrated into longitudinal UME
curricula. Promising strategies include longitudinal faculty-development
communities, coaching models, and alignment of professionalism expectations
across student and faculty evaluation systems.
CONCLUSION
Strengthening professional standards in UME requires shifting from
student-focused remediation to faculty- and system-level change. Medical
schools should invest in longitudinal, workplace-embedded faculty
development; create accountable, safe cultures for addressing unprofessional
behavior; and explicitly align hidden and formal curricula around shared
professional standards. Positioning faculty as intentional stewards of
professional identity formation can help ensure that graduates’ behaviors
reflect the values the profession espouses.
Professional standards, including ethical conduct, accountability, and
communication, are core outcomes of undergraduate medical education (UME),
yet studies show that students’ perceptions of professionalism are shaped
more by observing faculty behavior and learning climate than by formal
curricula. Persistent reports of mistreatment, unprofessional role modeling,
and misaligned assessment practices suggest that faculty development often
fails to support professional identity formation. This project synthesizes
evidence on how faculty influence professional standards in UME and
identifies leverage points for change.
METHODS
We conducted a narrative review of empirical and theoretical work on
professionalism, professional identity formation, and faculty development in
UME (2010 - 2025). Sources were mapped and iteratively coded to identify
patterns in faculty behaviors, institutional culture, and assessment practices
shaping learners’ professional standards. An expert group of medical
educators then refined and prioritized themes for their relevance and
feasibility in practice.
RESULTS
Three interrelated gaps emerged. (1) Role modeling is powerful but largely
unexamined, with minimal support for faculty to recognize and adjust the
informal and hidden curricula they create. (2) More faculty development is
required to increase confidence in addressing lapses in professional
behavior, giving values-based feedback, and assessing professionalism in
authentic settings. (3) Institutional support for faculty is needed, with
workshops and policy documents rarely integrated into longitudinal UME
curricula. Promising strategies include longitudinal faculty-development
communities, coaching models, and alignment of professionalism expectations
across student and faculty evaluation systems.
CONCLUSION
Strengthening professional standards in UME requires shifting from
student-focused remediation to faculty- and system-level change. Medical
schools should invest in longitudinal, workplace-embedded faculty
development; create accountable, safe cultures for addressing unprofessional
behavior; and explicitly align hidden and formal curricula around shared
professional standards. Positioning faculty as intentional stewards of
professional identity formation can help ensure that graduates’ behaviors
reflect the values the profession espouses.