I. I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant: II. I will respect the scientific gains of the past, also acknowledging my obligation to benefit the future, and I will gladly share everything I know with potential doctors to come. III. I will try never to over medicate a patient, and I will not be afraid to request assistance or advice. IV. I will respect the craft of medicine as well as science, and remember the difference that warmth, sympathy, and understanding makes on my work.
V. I will respect the privacy of my patients, and I will not take lightly the immeasurable decision to save or take some one’s life. I will never take it upon myself to play God, in any circumstance. VI. I will remember that I do not treat an illness but the patient, and I will value the families input and wellbeing and acknowledge that they are entrusting with the lives of their loved ones. VII. I will prevent disease whenever I can. Prevention is preferable to a cure. VIII.
I will remember that I remain a member of society, and a community, and that my medical abilities are my civic contribution. IX. If I do not violate this oath, may my eternal satisfaction be brought to fruition within my life, and if I do break this oath may I lose my privileges within this respected profession. The Hippocratic Oath is a historic and honorable tradition taken by physicians since nearly the beginning of the medical practice. The practice of revising, and abiding by this oath goes back as far as the 4th Century B. C.
It embodies many ideals that instill selfless honor and a sense of unanimous family within the medical community. As times have changed, and medical technology has enhanced, one thing that hasn’t changed is the human nature running the medical practice. It is this reason why the Hippocratic Oath is still present and necessary today. It is my opinion that the oath I have developed and provided for this essay is most contemporary and encompasses all the necessary concerns within our modern era. The more things change the more they stay the same.
The combination of new technology and medical practice with the transcending never changing quality of human tendency warrants an oath that is slightly modifiable but that still maintains the core values Hippocrates originally pursued. My version of the oath is exactly that. I will analyze the aspects of my oath in no particular order as they are all equally significant, and they all have connecting relation to one another. The main connection between each declaration is an underlying traditions of ideals and a history which shapes this medical ideology.
The Hippocratic Oath has changed multiple times throughout the course of history. In fact, most doctors are noted for believing in the idea of upholding a Hippocratic Oath, but not one in particular. So how does one decide what oath to uphold? Theoretically, a potential physician could implement his/her own oath dedicated to malpractice and uphold that as well. Obviously this would be idiotic to do, so there must be some fundamental values inherent in all Hippocratic Oaths.
In the first Hippocratic Oath translated from Greek the document opens with, I swear by Asculepius, Hygeia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgment, the following Oath (Wikipedia). This line is a prime example of the changes the medical practice has undergone since its origin. Like the government, the medical practice is no longer as closely connected with the church, specifically, Asclepius the Greek demigod of medicine and healing. Our religious practices today tend to be more monotheistic, but even in this case we no longer closely tie them with medicine.
So what does this statement truly signify in Hippocrates’ original Oath. I think it’s more a representation of a devotion to community than anything else. As far back as 4 B. C. , I think the important need for the physician to be considered a contributing asset of the community, as apposed to a rogue worker, was already greatly acknowledged. By connecting the first statement of his oath to God, Hippocrates’ is freeing the medical practice from being viewed as separate from the foundation of the contemporary society of that time. I feel this is an aspect of the medical field that is greatly changing.
This is why number eight of my oath is, I will remember that I remain a member of society, and a community, and that my medical abilities are my civic contribution. The fact that the medical industry is no longer connected to the church, and that they operate within very lenient laws and on the basis of their own oaths, it gives many doctors the option of placing themselves above the patient. This is often seen in cases where hospital workers will avoid working on a high risk patient to avoid bringing down their medical stats, or running into potential malpractice cases.
Another major flaw in the medical system is the newly developed practice of over prescribing patients with medication. It is not uncommon for many young people known to have friends of the family in the medical profession to request an unnecessary amount of prescription drugs, solely with the intent of selling them their friends on college campuses. This is often seen with drugs like aderol and zanex, for their ability to enhance alertness and relieve anxiety. This is why for number three I put, I will try never to over medicate a patient, and I will not be afraid to request assistance or advice.
There are more people taking prescription drugs illegal in America than most would like to admit. This is one of the leading causes of drug abuse. One might argue that this is proof that one action creates another action, or that abuse begets abuse in the fact that the drug abuse is triggered by the physicians abuse of power. This abuse of power on the behalf of many health care professionals is one of the main reasons why patients feel more like slabs of meat than an object of actual concern.
When a physician is dealing with a sick patient, he must always be aware of those who care for the patient. I point this out in number six where I declare, I will remember that I do not treat an illness but the patient, and I will value the families input and wellbeing and acknowledge that they are entrusting with the lives of their loved ones. The social interaction between the health care professional and the patient, their family and the community are all a major part of the profession.
There is a subtle art form to this and it is part of the reason why the practice of medicine is considered to be as much a craft as a science. The idea that the medical profession is an art form is certainly a Hippocratic theory. It is emitted in every line of his oath. This is also an ideal I have adopted with my oath. I feel the craft of Medicine, meaning the skill required to practice as well as the way in which a physician communicates with staff, patients and the community all sum up his/her worth as a medical professional.
This is why for number four I state, I will respect the craft of medicine as well as science, and remember the difference that warmth, sympathy, and understanding makes on my work. I feel this embodies the social skills necessary for the job’s criteria. When a patient feels they can trust their doctor it’s usually due to the sum of all these traits. This idea corresponds with number five in which I declare, I will respect the privacy of my patients, and I will not take lightly the immeasurable decision to save or take some one’s life.
I will never take it upon myself to play God, in any circumstance. This is very important for the physician patient relationship as well, because if a patient fears their information may re-circulate after its use, they will be less likely to trust you with it. On top of the ability to gain a patient’s trust, a medical professional should acknowledge greatness of their profession and establish their place in it. Advancements in medical technology were all developed, or discovered, by human beings. These human beings will continue to make advancements as long as we exist on this planet.
It is this fact that obligates any aspiring physician to not only uphold a code that will make him the best contributor to his community, but to mankind as well. The goal to become one of these high acclaimed humans who have attained a new medical breakthrough for mankind, to rank beyond just a physician within a certain era, but to acclaim everlasting status, this is inherently the goal of all men. To promote this concept, for number two I declare, I will respect the scientific gains of the past, also acknowledging my obligation to benefit the future, and I will gladly share everything I know with potential doctors to come.
This not only opens up a network devoted to the advancement of medicine, but also to the increasing development in the quality of our medical professionals. Those physicians who selflessly pass on their medicinal knowledge and allow younger newcomers to perfect and surpass their techniques are furthering the practice beyond their single contribution. This part of my oath acknowledges that the single accomplishment of a physician is no greater than all of the physicians before him/her who got them there.
This is the highest point of the Hippocratic Oath and what I feel is the ultimate purpose of the oath in the first place. BY having a system for healthcare professionals to follow, they can operate as one major entity. Thos who deter from the oath are easily revealed as hypocrites only interested in individual gain. My oath has a clause for these people as well. The end result of not abiding by this oath, or breaking its mandates and completely disregarding it should result in a relinquishment of privileges.
Medical authorities are already powerful enough. They rarely fear malpractice suites, because their patients tend to lack the financial backing necessary to develop winning cases against them. This is a very common occurrence within the cosmetic surgery community, where the surgeons make insurmountable amounts of money. This is why for my final statement in my oath I put, If I do not violate this oath, may my eternal satisfaction be brought to fruition within my life, and if I do break this oath may I lose my privileges within this respected profession.
This still upholds some of the traditional themes of Hippocrates, in that it acknowledges the medical field as a system to live or die by. To dishonor this highly respected and affluently praised profession is greater than dishonoring one’s self. This is because physicians are pillars of society and counted on with the lives of the individuals living in their community. When a physician opens a private practice, charges unrealistic fees and only serves the wealthy, he is doing his community a disservice, and he doesn’t deserve to practice medicine.
In sum, before one can align themselves to a Hippocratic Oath, they must first understand the history behind the tradition they are upholding. There is a deeper meaning within Hippocratic Oath. The ideals of the society one is practicing medicine, along with the faith of the community must be garnered to assure the physician is first and foremost a pillar of the community. The oath embodies ideals of honor and trust. Like any code of honor, there are always those who lack the trait and there is no code that will straighten out this flaw.
Some might argue that these men and women study long hard hours for years to earn their degrees and pay ridiculous amounts of money for schooling, so they deserve the right to enjoy their positions. These people might even argue that they should be able to do with their power what they will, for the simple fact that, if they are so knowledgeable, they probably know better than the public. It is arguments like this that disillusion the public and inadvertently turn patients into victims. This is where the law must come into play.
The reason why doctors have such affluent lifestyles is because society acknowledges them as a valuable necessity. Medical professionals are here to serve the people. This is their purpose, if they fail to devote themselves solely to this purpose than they should be stripped of the rights that grant them this responsibility.
Work Cited
“Hippocratic Oath. ” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 27 Jan 2007, 12:13 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 28 Jan 2007 http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Hippocratic_Oath&oldid=103591798>. Lewis Richard Farnell, Greek Hero Cults and Ideas of Immortality, 1921.