Emotional intelligence: The road to the development of professionalism

Abstract

The development of medical professionalism poses a considerable challenge in medical education, even though it is essential for medical practitioners. The dynamics and ambiguity of medical professionalism cause difficulty in setting specific learning objectives, creating validated assessment methods, and designing effective teaching methodologies. Meanwhile, emotional intelligence is an expanding area of study in medical education. There is a substantial connection between medical professionalism and emotional intelligence, and certain attributes of emotional intelligence contribute to the development of professionalism. Numerous reports have illustrated emotional intelligence development and assessment in health professions education, and thus, emotional intelligence is potentially a path to developing medical professionalism.