The John A. Burns School of Medicine is dedicated to cultivating professionalism throughout the medical education continuum to better equip learners with the necessary values and tools to ensure the highest level of patient and team safety in their future professional endeavors. Pono, the Hawaiian word for 'proper' or 'righteous', guides JABSOM's work to ensure its students, faculty, and staff understand the responsibility to act with integrity while tacking action to eliminate health disparities in the spirit of social justice. JABSOM is dedicated to providing a culture of safety, inclusivity, and true aloha for learners, employees, and patients. Professionalism has long been one of the school's graduation objectives (educational program objectives).
An inaugural JABSOM Professionalism Advisory Committee (JPAC) was convened in September 2021.
Membership includes students, faculty, staff members, and ad hoc resident representatives, depending on issues raised. Each medical student class began peer-selecting a Professionalism Committee representative (champion) starting in Fall 2021. JPAC meetings occur two to three times per year. The committee acknowledges and highlights best practices or examples of professionalism; advises JABSOM committees and leadership on processes and curricula based on multi-source data points to enhance the attainment of the JABSOM professionalism philosophy by all; works in synergy with other JABSOM initiatives to promote psychological safety, to achieve the school’s mission areas, and to promote diversity, opportunity, and equity within all JABSOM programs; and does not investigate, discipline, or make decisions about specific actions by individuals. Specific disciplinary policies and processes exist to address individual concerns or alleged policy violations.
The school’s bylaws were subsequently revised and ratified on December 8, 2021, establishing the JPAC as a standing committee of the school. The committee’s current charge, as codified in the bylaws: JPAC reviews and recommends processes and curricula that will enhance the attainment of the professionalism philosophy by all earners, staff, and faculty. The committee is advisory to the Associate Deans, Dean, Directors of the OME, OSA, GME, and Faculty Affairs. The committee does not investigate, rule upon, or discipline employees or learners. Committee recommendations will be reviewed by the relevant leadership and committees for any further action or changes to curriculum, policies, or processes.
The Professionalism Graduation Objectives and Professionalism Philosophy are included in all MD Program student and faculty handbooks posted on the website and in the hallways leading to the primary classrooms utilized in the pre-clerkship learning spaces.
All students, faculty, and staff who are a part of the JABSOM ‘ohana (family) are expected to watch a Promoting Professionalism at JABSOM video that informs the viewer of the importance of professionalism while explaining how to identify and report potential professionalism concerns and prevent unprofessional behavior by behaving professionally. After viewing the video, individuals are provided additional resources and appropriate contacts across the JABSOM campus. All members of our JABSOM ‘ohana are expected to review this video and provide an attestation every two years.
