I was recently reading some articles and I stumbled across one that a woman had written about her recent illness. She mentioned that she was having stomach pains that were not subsiding. She called her local medical clinic to set up an appointment. Now according to the woman, she had never been to this clinic, neither did she have a regular family physician. The appointment time and date were set, her name was taken, and she was asked whom her doctor was. She explained to the receptionist that she did not have a family physician. Upon hearing this, the receptionist told her that the Doctors in the clinic were not taking new patients. According to the woman, the receptionist couldn’t hang the phone up fast enough. Her questions then turned to the Hippocratic Oath and accusations were made of how hypocritcal it was for a doctor to take an oath and swear to helping all who needed it and then doing a 180 as far as carrying out the oath.
I could not believe that a Doctor could turn a patient down. I too thought this was surely against some law. I thought perhaps this woman should contact the American Medical Association or some other form of authority. How could a Doctor who had taken an oath to help all people who were in need of medical attention refuse that treatment?
Upon looking up information about the Hippocratic Oath, I discovered that it is an oath that can be changed, revised, deleted, and added to as the governing body sees fit. By this I mean that every medical college that a graduating physician leaves, can change the oath, have no oath at all, or just make up their own oath, for those students who are graduating. As a matter of fact, there is no oath that the American Medical Association promotes. The American Medical Association does however promote a Code Of Ethics.
In 1993, Robert Orr, M.D. and Norman Pang, M.D., did a survey of 157 deans of Allopathic (conventional medicine) and Osteopathic (therapy accomplished by manipulation of the skeleton and muscles) schools of medicine in Canada and the United States regarding the use of the Hippocratic Oath: In 2000,they again preformed a study using 141 Allopathic and Osteopathic schools. The results of these surveys are:
1. In 1993, 98% of schools administered some form of the Oath.
2. In 1928, only 26% of schools administered some form of the Oath.
3. In 1993, only 1 school used the original Hippocratic Oath.
4. In 1993, 68 schools used versions of the original Hippocratic Oath.
5. In 1993, 100% of current Oaths pledge a commitment to patients. In 2000, 91% percent pledge a commitment to patients.
6. In 1993, 43% vow to be accountable for their actions.
7. In 1993 14% include a prohibition against euthanasia. In 2000, 25 schools explicitly prohibited physician-assisted suicide. The vast majority of medical students at the University of New York Upstate Medical School in Syracuse do not swear to avoid assisting in suicides.
8. In 1993, 11% invoke a deity. In 2000, 18% invoke a promise to a deity or God.
9. In 1993, 8% prohibit abortion. In 2000, only 1 school recited an oath that explicitly prohibited abortion. The vast majority of graduating medical students at the University of New York Upstate Medical School in Syracuse do not swear to avoid performing abortions.
10. In 1993, 3% prohibit sexual contact with patients. In 2000, 4 schools urged physicians to avoid sexual relationships with patients in their oath. Graduating medical students at the university of New York Upstate Medical School in Syracuse do not swear against having sex with patients as a part of their oath.
11. In 2000, 87% pledged loyalty to colleagues, profession and teachers:
12. In 2000 60% pledged to act with beneficence: The state or quality of being kind, charitable, or beneficial.
13. In 2000, 18% pledged to do no harm or nonmaleficence.
Each year, more than a thousand graduating medical students take the Christian Physicians Oath. In order to take this oath, these graduates have to participate in this ceremony in a separate part of the campus. Upon taking this oath, the graduating medical students vow to: Care for all patients, reject interventions that intentionally destroy or actively end the lives of the unborn, the infirmed, and the terminally ill.
There are many who think the 2400 year-old Hippocratic Oath has changed over time. I think this is rather obvious. The original oath was believed to benefit the sick. Now it appears the focus of the oath is to the self-interest of the Doctor.
The oaths that are taken by medical practitioners seems to be mostly of historical value, but when taken, is considered a rite of passage for those in the medical professions.
To say in any certain personal incident that a doctor is not following the oath he swore by upon graduating would be untrue. Apparently there are many different oaths that are taken. And as mentioned above, some schools allow the students to make up their own oaths as to what they consider the importance of their role in the medical field. If you have concerns as to what your doctor took an oath to upon graduation, if he/she took any oath at all, you are just going to have to ask him/her. I am also curious as to how many doctors are actually aware of the origin of the oath they took upon graduation.
As far as the legalities of an oath go, that will be another story. Taking an oath is like making an emotional commitment. Have any of you taken the Boy Scout oath or the Girl Scout Oath? Do you still live by that oath and hold true to it? Would you have been allowed to stay in the scouts if you refused to recite the oath? Can a medical student graduate medical school without taking the required oath, if any? Are most oaths taken tongue in cheek to allow the participant to maintain status in the organization?
There are too many forms of the Hippocratic Oath to list here, but this is the original translation from Greek of the Hippocratic Oath supplied from Wikipedia.
“I swear by Apollo, Asclepius, Hygieia, 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.
To consider dear to me as my parents him who taught me this art; to live in common with him and if necessary to share my goods with him; To look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.
To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug nor give advice which may cause his death.
Nor will I give a woman a pessary to procure abortion.
But I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts.
I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.
In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves.
All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal.
If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot.”
Reference:
- Wikipedia
