BMJ  2008;336 (19 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.39553.574525.47

Editor's Choice

Editor’s Choice

All the Cs

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

It’s a trivial point, but many of the words that describe what makes a good doctor begin with the letter C. A cohort of UK doctors that has been tracked by the BMA since they qualified in 1995 has twice been asked to rank a list of core professional values (www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/profval~values). Competence scores highest on both occasions, but caring, compassion, and commitment are all up there in the top six.

It’s right that competence is seen as a professional value and not as something to be assumed. Perhaps doctors have always taken responsibility for ensuring their own competence, but I find it encouraging that two thirds of junior doctors surveyed by the BMA think their training should be extended to take account of the soon to be imposed 48 hour week (Career Focus, http://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/view-article.html?id=2907).

Caring sounds like the soft option on the list of values—but it isn’t . . . [Full text of this article]

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