Rewriting the Hippocratic oath
“Hippocrates” Medical Tourism in Greece, 2 May 2013, medicaltourismgreece.com/hippocrates. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
As both an obligation and earnest promise sworn by many doctors, I view the Hippocratic Oath as a standard for all doctors to abide by. However, though it’s rare to find a doctor breaking the confidentiality of their medical records or intentionally harming a patient, I find that a handful of doctors may benefit from developing skills that stray away from logistical and scientific reasoning. Consequently, I aimed to craft my Hippocratic Oath in a manner that encompassed more of the emotional aspects of practicing as a physician. I chose the majority of my elements by reflecting on the characteristics of good doctors, including empathy, diligence, open-mindesses, and resilience among many others, then expanding on their use in a clinical setting to create a statement for my oath. Similar to the Original and Lasagna Hippocratic Oath, I touched upon “doing no harm” and maintaining patient autonomy since embracing those two principles is vital to becoming a physician; however, unlike the original or Lasagna Hippocratic Oath, I placed a greater emphasis on preserving the doctor’s well being. As the daughter of a hardworking oncologist, perhaps I am influenced by the days my sister and I would wait for the buzz of the front door, tiptoe out of our room past bedtime, and spy on our mom returning home from a tiring day at a private practice. Despite the stress and workload she experienced, in all my memories, my mom would always be washing the dishes in the sink or folding laundry on our carpeted floor, and if she ever caught our curious stares, she would never fail to shoot us a loving yet chiding smile. Seeing this almost instantaneous switch from doctor to mother helped me realize that no matter how devastating a work day may be, it is important to keep work and personal life separate, in order to maintain one's mental well-being. Reminding doctors to make this distinction may somewhat help them better manage stress, allowing them to work to their full capacity when at the hospital. Finally, the last major difference discussed in my new Hippocratic Oath entails the importance of closing the gap in healthcare inequity. Admittedly, the point doesn’t seem to fit in quite as well with the others; though frankly, I am too strong of an advocate for increasing access to healthcare to pass up the chance to showcase its importance. I see maintaining one’s health as a basic human right, and I included it in my oath to convey this belief to doctors since they have the skill set needed to help close this gap. Whether it be volunteering, donating, teaching, or reaching out to the community, my hope was for physicians to help bring about a change in healthcare distribution by abiding by this statement. Overall, though important, being a good doctor goes beyond simply doing no harm, beyond obtaining the knowledge to treat a patient—it incorporates a multitude of other qualities from speaking with compassion to setting emotional boundaries to going out of one’s way to make a difference in the healthcare field.
Below, you can read the original Hippocratic Oath, a modern version typically used to swear in new physicians, and my revised version of the oath!
Emma Slattery Williams. “Hippocrates and Humours: Medicine in Ancient Greece.” Historyextra.com, HistoryExtra, 24 Sept. 2021, www.historyextra.com/period/ancient-greece/medicine-ancient-greece-hippocrates-oath-humours/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
The Hippocratic Oath (The Original)
I swear by Apollo Physician and Asclepius and Hygieia and Panaceia and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfill according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant:
To hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in partnership with him, and if he is in need of money to give him a share of mine, and to regard his offspring as equal to my brothers in male lineage and to teach them this art---if they desire to learn it---without fee and covenant; to give a share of precepts and oral instruction and all the other learning to my sons and to the sons of him who has instructed me and to pupils who have signed the covenant and have taken an oath according to the medical law, but no one else.
I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.
I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.
I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work.
Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves.
What I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep to myself, holding such things shameful to be spoken about.
If I fulfill this oath and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot.
Bailey, Melissa. “So Long, Hippocrates. Medical Students Choose Their Own Oaths.” STAT, 21 Sept. 2016, www.statnews.com/2016/09/21/hippocratic-oath-medical-students-doctors/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
A Modern Version of the Hippocratic Oath
I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:
I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.
I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.
I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.
I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.
I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.
I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.
I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.
I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.
If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.
The modern version of the Hippocratic Oath was written in 1964 by Louis Lasagna, Dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University.
My Hippocratic Oath
I will ensure that the care I provide to my patient will always be to the best of my ability, irrespective of differences in our personal beliefs or values. This entails maintaining an objective, professional mindset even in the face of any of my personal prejudices, including race, gender, or identity. Illness does not discriminate on this basis and neither shall I.
I vow to embrace the humanity thriving within each of my patients and will treat them with empathy and compassion. I acknowledge that they are not merely a manifestation of their illness, but rather a person who, too, has both faced the bliss and brittleness of life. I acknowledge this—the unique souls strumming within every one of my patients that perhaps cannot be seen under the fear and pain of hospital lights—and will act in a manner that reflects this knowledge, establishing a relationship of warmth and understanding.
I accept that caring for a patient is not a job that is performed solely on my own but rather involves a network of motivated healthcare workers. Consequently, I will hold myself accountable for my work, perform my duties with diligence in a timely manner, and ensure to communicate any abnormalities, changes, or updates with the appropriate members of my team. I will constantly exercise my teamwork and communication skills as they are essential in ensuring that my patient receives optimal care within the healthcare system and minimizes preventable complications that may jeopardize my patient’s well-being.
I understand that setbacks will continue to percolate throughout my journey in medicine; however, I ensure that I will not let these challenges overcome me as I promise to strive to find or implement a solution. Even if I do encounter failure, I will not be chained down by it, but see myself to be resilient, using these defeats as a platform to grow, improving my practice for at least the sake of my patient’s health.
I vow to work with diligence and conscientiousness, fully incorporating my pertinent skills and abilities, to preserve the health of my patient. Maintaining this thoroughness, paying close attention to detail, and rooting my decisions in the principles of science, logic, and reasoning are essential in maintaining adequate care for my patient.
I will embrace the constant changes in the medical field, refusing to accept my knowledge as absolute. I will encourage and facilitate new discoveries, when given the opportunity, and will constantly seek knowledge and aski questions. Moreover, I will remain open-minded, incorporating recent improvements or advancements in the medical field into my practice.
I pledge that I will not only respect the patient in their wishes or requests, such as allowing them to make the final, informed decision in proceeding in treatment but also respect myself and the work that I have accomplished. I understand that there are times where I will inevitably be presented with extraneous circumstances that create results out of my control or scenarios where my efforts fall short; however, I will not succumb to self-loathing nor twist the situation into alleged evidence of my lack of competence. Rather, I vow to uphold myself to standards of respect, believe in the strength of my skill, and continue to grow and develop.
I understand that there is a disparity in access to healthcare and vow to go out of my way to combat this issue, seeking to employ my knowledge in underrepresented and high-risk communities. I acknowledge the value of my skill, yet realize that maintaining proper health is a basic human right; therefore, I will not withhold caring for those in need, even outside a hospital setting with no return but the improvement of health care equity.
I realize that the nature of my occupation is charged with emotion, with many patients coasting on the border of life and death. However, I will approach each patient with emotional maturity and establish my own boundaries, enabling me to keep practicing at my full capacity and preventing me from drowning in the floods of despair.
I pledge that the integrity of my work will not be influenced by monetary benefits, or desire to gain personal riches. I will never exploit the fear in my patients or capitalize off their pain. I vow that I am driven by a passion to help the lives of those around me—to preserve health and restore joy in people’s lives.
Works Cited
Alpert, Joseph S., and William H. Frishman. “The Most Important Qualities for the Good Doctor.” The American Journal of Medicine, vol. 134, no. 7, Elsevier BV, July 2021, pp. 825–26, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.11.002. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
Rizo, Carlos A., et al. “What’s a Good Doctor and How Do You Make One? Doctors Should Be Good Companions for People.” BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), vol. 325, no. 7366, 2002, pp. 711., www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1124230/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
“What Makes a Good Doctor? 7 Surprisingly Useful Skills for Physicians.” Medical Blog, 6 July 2021, www.sgu.edu/blog/medical/what-makes-a-good-doctor/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
“Why the World Needs Doctors with These 3 Qualities.” Harvard Business Review, 7 Aug. 2018, hbr.org/2018/08/why-the-world-needs-doctors-with-these-3-qualities. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
