In their desire to improve medical professionalism within the world of academic medicine, editors Delese Wear and Janet Bickel have assembled thirteen thought provoking essays that elucidate the many facets of teaching, valuing, and maintaining medical professionalism in the middle of the myriad challenges facing medicine at the dawn of the twenty-first century.The collection traces how the values of altruism and service influence not only mission statements and admission policies but also the content of medical school ethics courses, student-led task forces, and mentoring programs, along with larger environmental issues in medical schools and the communities they serve.