Using Retrieval Practice to Teach Professionalism to Medical Students: A Proposal

Teaching and assessing professionalism is a priority at medical schools. Approaches taken to teach professionalism include didactic courses, role modeling, clinical experiences, and online modules. However, it remains unclear whether these methods result in long-term retention of professional knowledge and how this, in turn, influences attitudes and behaviors. Recent insight into the effects of repeated testing on social behavior offers an opportunity to enhance the attainment of professionalism. Therefore, harnessing the power of retrieval practice to teach professionalism to medical students over the course of their training may represent an effective means to durably change attitudes and behaviors.