Professionalism in Psychiatry

Written by some of the leading authors in North American psychiatry, this book begins the thoughtful discussion about how to address and teach deficiencies in professionalism. As they suggest, lapses in professionalism among medical practitioners has often been overlooked or explained away by enablers. This book was not designed to end the conversation, but to encourage discussion of issues related to professionalism using the context of clinical situations in psychiatry. In many cases, the vignettes raise as many questions as they answer, forcing readers to examine their own moral foundations. In particular, the chapter on cyberspace is timely and illustrates the widening gap in the use of technology between those guiding residents in training and those being trained, with the latter often significantly more knowledgeable and sophisticated in its use. It is an excellent start to an ever-evolving dialogue. Steven T. Herron, M.D., Doody Enterprises, Inc.