Academic and professional integrity

In medical and dental school, students must meet certain requirements for academic group work. They must collaborate effectively to develop the teamwork, communication and problem solving skills that are essential for clinical practice.

Working in groups enhances learning by exposing students to diverse perspectives and requiring communication with peers from different backgrounds.

Strong group work skills help to prepare students for their future work in multidisciplinary healthcare teams. Thus, group work as a student is the first step towards improving patient care and clinical outcomes for future doctors and dentists.

Academic group work introduces students to many of the core principles of good medical practice.

According to the Achieving Good Medical Practice booklet, students must:

• Collaborate fairly and respectfully – Contribute equitably to group tasks, respect differing perspectives, and ensure all members have a chance to participate.
• Communicate professionally – Engage in clear, courteous, and constructive discussions, maintaining a professional attitude in both academic and clinical settings.
• Uphold academic integrity – Ensure all work is honest and original, avoid plagiarism, and never falsely claim or misrepresent contributions within group projects.
• Take responsibility for shared learning – Support peers by sharing knowledge, giving constructive feedback, and using group work as an opportunity to develop teamwork skills essential for medical practice.

Academic misconduct covers any dishonest practice such as plagiarism, cheating or the falsification of data or academic records that could undermine integrity, professionalism or patient safety.

Doctors and medical students have a fundamental professional obligation to act with honesty and integrity.

On the issue of academic misconduct, Achieving Good Medical Practice states that students must:

• Engage honestly in assessments – Always ensure that submitted work is your own, follow assessment rules, and never attempt to cheat or deceive in exams or coursework.
• Avoid plagiarism and false representation – Never copy, falsify or misrepresent work, including signing peers into sessions, forging supervisor signatures, or falsifying feedback.
• Follow assessment regulations – Cheating in exams, sharing exam content or collaborating dishonestly on individual assignments is a serious breach of professionalism.
• Report concerns when necessary – If you witness academic misconduct, you have a responsibility to report it through the appropriate channels.

Some scenarios involve cheating or academic misconduct.

Deciders who encounter others behaving in this way, or who are thinking of behaving this way themselves, must:

• Never participate, encourage, condone or allow it.
• Take steps to address it directly and locally.

Transparency and honesty are bedrock principles of medical ethics and professional standards, so look out for actions or factors that relate to covering up the dishonest act – these are always very inappropriate.

Doctors and medical students must take responsibility for their own learning to maintain competence, improve patient care and uphold professional standards.

Doctors must engage in continuous learning and reflection as a fundamental professional requirement.

Doctors must mentor students in setting goals and self-reflection.

A proactive learning mindset will strengthen professional development.

Continuous learning improves patient care and public trust in the medical profession.

You’ll find guidance for doctors on the topic of taking responsibility for one’s own learning in the Achieving Good Medical Practice booklet:

• Engage in lifelong learning – Stay up to date with medical knowledge, guidelines and skills, ensuring continuous professional development.
• Seek learning opportunities – Actively participate in training, mentorship and clinical discussions, taking initiative in your professional growth.
• Reflect on your practice – Regularly assess your strengths and areas for improvement, using feedback and experience to guide development.
• Maintain professional competence – Recognise the limits of your knowledge and skills, seeking help or further education when necessary.
• Use evidence-based practice – Apply current research, guidelines and best practices to deliver high-quality, safe and effective patient care.

The key issues in some scenarios relate to the need for doctors and medical students to take responsibility for their own learning or professional development.

Doctors and medical students are expected to actively engage with their learning and development. They also have a responsibility to keep their knowledge up to date.

Deciders are required to:

• Speak up when their learning or professional development is being negatively impacted.
• Seek out learning or development opportunities, especially when more senior colleagues are busy.
• Manage their time professionally so that opportunities for learning or development are not squandered.

For doctors and medical students, dealing with feedback means engaging with constructive criticism to improve clinical skills, professional behaviour and patient care.

Doctors and medical students have a professional and ethical obligation to reflect and act on feedback.

Feedback is critical for growth, as it helps bridge the gap between theory and clinical practice.

Doctors must model openness to feedback and provide clear, timely guidance to colleagues and medical students.

A culture of regular, actionable feedback will help to strengthen learning and safety.

Responding well to feedback builds resilience and reinforces lifelong learning habits.

In regards to dealing with feedback, Achieving Good Medical Practice states that students must:

• Engage fully – Actively seek and reflect on feedback from supervisors, peers, and patients to improve skills and professionalism.
• Respond constructively – Accept criticism with openness, avoid defensiveness, and create action plans for improvement.
• Apply what you learn – Implement feedback in practice, demonstrating growth and a commitment to high standards.

Some scenarios deal with assessments, and in particular how a doctor or medical student reacts to receiving negative feedback on their performance.

Often this kind of feedback is delivered by someone more senior, such as a consultant or GP.

In this kind of scenario, a doctor or medical student receiving feedback is expected to:

• Respond in a professional and constructive manner.
• Reflect on the reasons they have received it.
• Communicate openly and honestly with their colleagues and peers.