Medical professionalism is a multi-dimensional and culture-sensitive domain and this explains a lack of standard educational framework. We compared understandings of professionalism among medical students from four institutions by administering a self-administered online questionnaire to Emirati, Saudi, and Malaysian medical students. Of 1,184 respondents, 53% agreed with "respect for others"; whereas 13.3% strongly disagreed with "commitment to empathy" as being a professional behaviour. Overall, there was agreement with 14 and disagreement in understanding to eight statements. "Respect for others" was the most popular among three institutions, while "altruism and self-less concerns" was the least popular in our cohort. We found a trend towards a better understanding of medical professionalism from years one to five. This study showed some congruence and some differences in understanding about medical professionalism. There is a need for a standard, universal programme that can facilitate training and career of international medical graduates.