The program for professional values and ethics in medical education

Background: Medical educators are very interested in the teaching and evalu ation of professional attitudes and behaviors among medical students, resid ents, and faculty. At Tulane University School of Medicine, we created the Program for Professional Values and Ethics in Medical Education (PPVEME) to return the focus of our curriculum to the physician-patient-community rela tionship and to the nurturing of professionalism. Description: PPVEME brings together students, residents, and faculty into l earning teams that create longitudinal curricula about five themes: integri ty communication, teamwork, leadership, and service. The emphasis is on lea rner-driven self- and group-reflection about shared experiences, thus model ing essential professional attributes. Evaluation: The program is evaluated using surveys, student and faculty foc us groups, and portfolios developed by student volunteers on each team. The first program event, a retreat for entering medical students, was highly s uccessful. Conclusions: PPVEME is an attempt to construct a medical school learning en vironment around professionalism. Evaluation over time will tell how succes sfully that has been accomplished.