Abstract: Objective To compare the characteristics of development stage of medical students professionalism from different grades and to put forward the relative suggestions. Methods The questionnaire was self-designed. 427 students from grade 2014 to grade 2018 majoring in clinical medicine in Shantou University Medical College were selected by stratified random sampling to finish the questionnaires. The data were analyzed by and nonparametric rank sum test. Results Percent of pass of medical professionalism is 70.9%(303/427). Excellent and great rate of medical professionalism is 49.6%(212/427). The average scores of medical student's professionalism from the first grade to the fifth grade was 51.8,70.7,68.2,73.8 and 71.9 in turn. There were statistically significant differences between two average scores of the adjacent grades(all P＜0.05). Conclusions Generally the medical professionalism is good, and the development characteristics show the advance in waves and imbalance. The senior grade's professionalism level is higher than the junior grade's generally. It is suggested that pertinent measures should be taken to strengthen the humanistic knowledge education, think highly of educational function of clinical practice and cultivate medical students' professionalism contrapuntally according to different grades.

Key words: Medical student, Self-cognition, Professionalism, Comparison