Redefining Professionalism in Medicine—Balancing Clinical Duties, Wellness, and Self-Advocacy

In 2024, a medical crisis was precipitated in South Korea in response to government policies to increase medical school admission quotas to address the shortage of physicians in rural areas and essential medical specialties.The Korean Medical Association, including trainees and professionals, were opposed to the policy changes, stating that fundamental problems were not being addressedincluding but not limited to working conditions, low reimbursement rates, and high rates of criminal charges for medical errors. 1 Thousands of medical students submitted leave-of-absence requests, residents submitted resignation letters, and professionals limited work hours, which led to implementation of emergency triage mechanisms and delay of nonemergency medical procedures. 2This study by Son et al 3 focused on the outcomes associated with resident resignation and subsequent delay in cancer surgical operations for 6 high-incidence cancers in South Korea.Son et al 3 found evidence of delays in some cancer operations (colorectal: incidence rate ratio IRR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.70-0.86;gastric: IRR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.66-0.88;lung: IRR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.61-0.76;breast: IRR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.72-0.88;thyroid: IRR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.60-0.77),highlighting the vulnerability of the health care system to the absence of resident physicians.This vulnerability is not unique to South Korea.In 2023, residents made up 13.6% of the US physician work force, heavily concentrated in larger academic hospitals. 4At Stanford University, the Division of General Surgery may have 33 faculty members and 40 residents working on any given day for coverage of services.The residents have an indispensable role in efficiently and effectively