Professionalism in pediatric critical care

The medical profession is largely self-regulated by a system comprising state medical licensing boards, subspecialty boards, and credentialing and accrediting bodies. This system confers many benefits on its members. It is the purview of society to allow us this autonomy. To sustain these professional benefits, which include control of entry into our profession and to maintain the autonomy of our credentialing and accrediting bodies, we must honor our contracts with society. Professionalism is, in its simplest form, putting the patient first, placing altruism before self-interest, as is expected of us. Beyond that, professionalism is a more complete charter that ties altruism to the concrete realities of the doctor-patient relationship and the marketplace in which we practice. The Physician Charter is grounded in the principles of altruism, patient autonomy, and social justice. It codifies the physician’s contract with society..