The Hippocratic Oath Of Medical Ethics Essay

The Greeks made many influences to their medical practices as well as ours today. Hippocrates was one of the many doctors at the time and he made many new discoveries in medicines which really helped people live longer and made his procedures a lot easier. He was a very trustworthy doctor. He made an oath stating that he wouldn't do anything to put his patients in harm by giving them bad medicines. Instead, he swore to do everything possible to cures patients and help make them feel better. This was known as the Hippocrates Oath (Doc 4). Even to this day, doctors must swear to not do anything that can cause harm to their patients. It's part of their training while in medical school. The only time a doctor can "harm" his or her patients is when the patient signs a

Throughout the history of medicine there has always been a need for shared commitment to ideals of moral, ethical and humane practice. The Hippocratic Oath, created by a compilation of works largely based on Hippocrates, has always stood as guidelines for the conduct of physicians. The Classical oath has and continues to serve well in preserving the sanctity of the medical profession while developing a basis for the respectful treatment of patients. However, this out-dated oath is not equipped to handle the modern trials and tribulations faced by physicians and health care in general. Many of its principles are simply unrealistic and inapplicable in today’s society. For this reason a revised version of the oath was written. As I will

After ensuring the preservation of medicinal practices and knowledge, the consequences of it are realized through guiding ideas. The Hippocratic Oath affirms, “I will keep [my patients] from harm and injustice.” Doctors swear by contributing to the wellbeing of patients, ignoring the various personal effects of ego, sexual interest and human tendency to gossip. Doctors must be able to admit to inability in order to make sound judgements. This would mean diagnosis to the best of their ability, and nothing beyond their ability: “I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment" (Hippocrates). The oath calls on doctors not to abuse their societal power or fall prey to their desires: “I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations" (Hippocrates). The oath further protects the patient’s emotional wellbeing by restricting the doctor from disclosing details surrounding the patient’s physical condition. The oath makes clear, “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" (Hippocrates). With the words “In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art"

Write a short summary of a professional code of ethics, preferably one germane to your major or field (e.g., Code of Ethics of the National Society of Engineers; Code of Ethics of the American Medical Association; Code of Ethics for the Association of American Educators)

Elite groups and associations have developed creeds or oaths throughout history. Doctors, lawyers, Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, and knights all aspire to hold to their directives. These oaths outline a set of values, and a code of conduct by which the group’s initiates are expected to hold. The oaths taken by these warrior classes are important for trust between members that, in grave circumstances, a behavior in accordance with high standards is to be expected. On a different professional level, a lawyer’s or doctor’s oath is to the people they serve. These oaths serve to instill confidence in the professional-to-patient relationship by establishing a standard of professional accountability within their respective fields. The Hippocratic Oath is purported to be a foundation for ethics and the practice of medicine. Though it exists in different versions, depending on the institution, the general themes and function remain the same (Markel). Any oath taken is meant to elevate the level of expectations for services rendered. In practice, however, especially in cases of medical oaths, it appears that the oaths are ceremonial and apparently obsolete. A survey conducted in 2012 noted that very few physicians had better than a rudimentary knowledge of the content of The Hippocratic Oath (Jhala and Jhala 279). If the Hippocratic Oath or any oath is intended to be the moral and ethical compass for physicians, it should be taken with an enforceable level of accountability and

In 5th century BCE, a Greek philosopher named Hippocrates wrote the phrase “I will not give a drug that is deadly to anyone if asked [for it], nor will suggest the ways to such a counsel”(Miles, 2004). This passage is apart of a written document that is now known as the Hippocratic Oath (Appendix A). The philosophers of ancient Greece were aware of the medical predicaments that a physician would ultimately face while practicing medicine. Today, the oath has become an ethical code for the physicians to uphold and apply in their profession. Why is this phrase important enough to be included in this document? Some view this passage as the code that prohibits physicians from lending their abilities for the executions of prisoners. Others

The Hippocratic Oath, is “First, do no harm”. Being a doctor is a profession solely dedicated to helping others, but what about when helping hurts? Often times the doctor doesn’t fully understand the patient due to a language or cultural barrier. A misunderstanding between the doctor and the patient can cause the patient to mistrust and discount everything the doctor says. The only thing worse than a noncompliant patient is a seemingly compliant patient. Although the western medical system has proven to be effective in its precision and accuracy, it is only as effective as the patients that make up the system.

“A physician who is a lover of wisdom is the equal of a g-d.”(Hippocrates) The Greeks valued medicine and thought highly of physicians, holding them to an incredibly high standard set by tthe best doctors, each with their own set of priorities. Hippocrates believed that the patient’s happiness and diet was the most important part of health, diagnosis, and treatment, and was admired for his ethics and morals. However, many disagreed with Hippocrates because used medicines that were not natural, which were thought very highly of and used by many, as a last resort and instead focused on making sure his patients were living, what he considered to be, a healthy life style. Hippocrates was the most influential physician of Greece because he introduced

Hippocrates contribute a very important perspective on medical knowledge in medieval western Europe times. Subsequently, Hippocrates was not a licensure physician, but in those times licensure was not a necessity. In this time period in seems to be Hippocrates innate instinct to contribute to medical practices. From the very beginning of times Hippocrates lineage was a part of the founding of the art of medicine. Apollo, whose was Hippocrates grandfather was consider in history among the Greeks to be the founder of the art of medicine. Asclepius, whom was the son of the great Apollo, whom Hippocrates father. Asclepius was known among the Greeks culture for his

“A physician who is a lover of wisdom is the equal of a g-d.”(Hippocrates) The Greeks valued medicine and thought highly of physicians, holding them to an incredibly high standard set by the best doctors, each with their own set of priorities. Hippocrates believed that the patient’s happiness and diet was the most important part of health, diagnosis, and treatment, and was admired for his ethics and morals. However, many disagreed with Hippocrates because he used new medicines and unique, unheard of techniques, including a healthy diet, which he believed to be the most important aspect of health. This differed from others view, because medicines were thought very highly of, but he only used medicine as a last resort, and first attempted

The AMA Code of Medical Ethics is based on the “Oath of Hippocrates”. Hippocrates, a physician who is also known as “Father of medicine” back in the 5th century BCE. Hippocrates made these statements to pass on their education to others. The Hippocratic Oath has been used for centuries to present

Upon completing medical school, many future physicians take the Hippocratic Oath to abide by certain agreements that involve ethics and patient care. Part that oath is to keep patients from harm and to keep from overdoing medical treatment that could be a hindrance to the patient’s physical and mental well-being. The more the patient’s health is less within the norm, the more the medical field is faced with ethical decisions; potentially undertaking more risk. Orthopedics are one of the many specialties in medicine where the scales are being tipped. With the current weight increase in the population and increase in total joint surgeries; some patients are having to put off surgery until their BMI is within normal range. While working with

Hippocrates is a very significant figure in the history of medicine that is still helping our society today. Hippocrates is known for the oath which physicians still use today. His ideas have also greatly improved and advanced medicine to help other. Also, his research of the four humours in the classics period helped other physicians further explore the cures for sickness/diseases. Hippocrates lived 460-377 BCE, during the “Golden Age,” (Lawerence, Hippocratic & Galenic Medicine). Everyone knows who Hippocrates is, but I believe there is not one single thing he is known for because he has done so much.

Upon watching the YouTube video of the original Hippocratic Oath I noticed quite a few things that are still widely practiced around the world today and some that aren’t. It truly humbles me to know that the standard for patient care has always been intended to be morally and ethically high. I know this hasn’t always been the case, but it is nice to know it was always the intention. The normative principles seen in this original oath that are still practiced today fall into the Virtue and Deontological categories.

Imagine you are injured or sick and have sought a doctor’s help. Although you trusted your doctor, something, something seemingly very in control of the doctor, went wrong. You are angry and confused, but also think of the commonality of medical malpractice. So, why do doctors, who are supposed to help, harm? Though many flaws influence it, malpractice can be, and often is unintentional. Most doctors aren’t trained to harm their patients. Inexperience and lack of medical discovery led to unintentional suffering of the patient. Personal flaws, like lack of willingness to abandon previous medical methods and shortcomings in communication also harm patients. Further reasons why doctors harm are socio-medical understandings that breed hate, prejudices stemming from a society’s belief about certain people, such as the medical practice under the Nazi regime. Additionally, displayed in the case of Ignác Semmelweis, judgement of one to oneself can be detrimental to any progress one’s ideas could make. We will examine these concepts through Jerome Groopman’s “Flesh-and-Blood Decision Making”, Sherwin Nuland’s The Doctors’ Plague and Barbara Bachrach’s “In the Name of Public Health”. Those who practice medicine are, unfortunately, unfree from the imperfections that plague all of humanity. Through these intimate and varied faults, doctors do harm.