Professionalism
As part of their formal training, Wake Forest School of Medicine students learn the importance of demonstrating the attributes of a professional and understand the balance of privileges and obligations that the public and the profession expect of a health care provider. The importance of understanding and possessing the professional attributes expected of health care providers is emphasized throughout the school.
The professionalism attributes that are taught and assessed include:
- Respect for patients
- Responsibility in actions
- Honor and integrity
- Reverence for human life
- Compassion
- Dedication to teamwork
- Ethical decision-making
Learning Environment
Wake Forest School of Medicine is committed to creating and maintaining a learning environment that supports and encourages respect for every individual, and promotes the development of professionalism among medical students.
All faculty, staff, medical students, residents and fellows on the medical center campus and across all instructional sites share responsibility for creating a positive and supportive learning environment. Our goal is to create a culture that enhances patient care, learning, scholarship and research, commitment to the health care needs of society, and the ability of all members of the Wake Forest School of Medicine community to interact and carry out their responsibilities in a supportive and respectful fashion.
Learning Environment Enrichment Group (LEEG)
In spring 2015, the multidisciplinary Learning Environment Enrichment Group (LEEG) was created to promote a learning environment that reinforces positive behaviors and ethical norms; is free from mistreatment, harassment and discrimination; and one where feedback regarding performance and behaviors can be shared without concern for retaliation.
LEEG aims to promote an effective learning environment by:
- Raising awareness of opportunities for enriching the learning environment
- Raising awareness of mechanisms already in place to respond to complaints regarding learning environment
- Monitoring the learning environment
- Responding to systems or individuals that compromise the learning environment by/and acting as a resource to departments and individuals for addressing issues and continuously improving the learning environment
Student Mistreatment and Reporting
A global student advocate serves as the central reporting resource for professionalism concerns for all WFSM students, as well as for visiting students, non-WFSM clinical students and non-affiliated student interns.
To report a mistreatment or professionalism concern, you may contact Sarah Riney, the Student Advocate:
- Via phone at 336-713-3352
- Via email at sriney@wakehealth.edu
- Via the Student Advocate online reporting form
Concerns may also be reported through the Compliance Hotline at 877-880-7888 or at www.tnwinc.com/reportline.
Student Mistreatment FAQs
You can report your concern to Nicole Allen, the Student Advocate, in the Office of Student Affairs at 336-713-7880 or chaallen@wakehealth.edu. You may also report your concern to Employee Relations. An Employee Relations consultant is assigned to each department. To reach the consultant assigned to your department, contact PeopleLink at 336-716-6464 (select option 5) or visit the online portal Peoplelink.wakehealth.edu.
For gender-based claims or sexual misconduct, you may report to the WFU Title IX office at 336-758-7258 or titleixcoordinator@wfu.edu.
You can report incidents of discrimination, harassment, physical harm/violence, or general misconduct and unprofessional behavior.
Yes, anonymous reporting is accepted; however, we strongly encourage that you identify yourself so we may thoroughly investigate your report and provide you with feedback on how your concern was addressed. Identifying yourself to the Student Advocate does not mean that you will be identified to the person or persons you are reporting.
The institution has a strict No Retaliation Policy to protect individuals who report mistreatment or misconduct. If you feel you experience retaliation as a result of reporting, you should promptly report your concerns to the Student Advocate.