A Hypocrites Oath or a calling to be godlike . . . ?

It has been suggested that if a person lacks that innate sense of wanting to care for people and servicing humanity . . . in a morally upright way . . . then they have no business going into the medical profession in the first place. Doctors are believed to have taken an Oath that becomes their guiding principle, which keeps them on the straight and narrow path, whenever they are tempted to yield to those ‘baser’ human instincts of wanting to fend for self above others. . .

Some people even advise that as charitable morally upright professionals, Doctors should be wiling to always work, come rain or shine - without adequate remuneration - sacrificing the needs of their own family and friends because of that ‘Oath’ they took that has transformed them into some sort of godlike creatures, now impervious to pain, sorrow, hunger . . . or the need for intimacy and appreciation.

Below is a copy of the modern version of that ‘Oath’. What might strike a lot of honest readers is that it is just a call to be responsible in ones duty, while being aware of one’s limitations both as a human and as a member of society. It does not confer on the one who takes it the virtues of a god . . .

Hippocratic Oath: Modern Version

I swear to fulfil, 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 [that] 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.

—Written in 1964 by Louis Lasagna, Academic Dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University, and used in many medical schools today.

Good day,Beneli.
it's being a while I saw your post on this forum.
pls I ll like to make some enquiries.I am a doctor presently about to finish my youth service in few months.I have been nursing the idea of traveling abroad-to any country where I can practice for some years,if possible get a resident programme.I ll love if you can provide me informations about potential countries i should be considering,and their requirements.
Pls what do you think about Australia.?

@Beneli. U are so God sent. Followed ur posts on medical doctors,lets know you. Pls pls n pls am just abt finishing my housejob n i really want to write primaries in psychiatry,pls where are the best centers to train in nigeria plus can i get materials from you or anyone u could direct me to. Thanks so much

Hi Dr beneli, i read ur post on ‘ur resident shrink‘ & i like it. Pls kindly refer me to a good doctor that can treat clinical depression. Thanks.

ficoram: Good day,Beneli.
it's being a while I saw your post on this forum.
pls I ll like to make some enquiries.I am a doctor presently about to finish my youth service in few months.I have been nursing the idea of traveling abroad-to any country where I can practice for some years,if possible get a resident programme.I ll love if you can provide me informations about potential countries i should be considering,and their requirements. Pls what do you think about Australia.?

Sorry for the delay in responding.

The good thing these days is that with the internet it's become a lot easier to access information quicker . . .

You could start by deciding on which part of the world you'd want to end up in. Clearly the place to go if you must emigrate to practice would be North America. But it's also the most difficult place to get into because every one wants to go there for residency! For North America, you'd have to go down the USMLE route - or the Canadian exams equivalent. These are expensive exams, so you'd need to be able to raise the money for it. What some people do is that they make the journey in stages. This brings us to issues of where next?

The Caribbean countries have their own licensing exams now. I understand that it's usually done in Jamaica. These exams are not as tough as the USMLE or the PLAB. To get more information you'd have to google something like - working in Barbados or something. You could also just walk into any of their embassies for more up to date information. I am aware that a lot of people have used the Caribbean countries as their springboards to the USA . . .

Australia and New Zealand also have jobs going. A lot of these are facilitated through locum agencies. Again you can google things like job opportunities for doctors in those countries where you'd get information on agencies. There seems to be quite a lot of them trying to recruit people to come 'down under'. You might be slightly disadvantaged if your training and experience has been only in Nigeria, but it's still possible to get recriuted. Contact any of the recruitment agencies and talk to them directly.

In Africa there are a few countries that may offer something reasonable. I know that South Africa has become a bit unfriendly towards Nigerian doctors but places like Botswana may have things going. Again you could go to their embassies for up to date information. There may also be opportunities in countries in West Africa that have just come out of war situations - Liberia, Sierra Leone. But these would only make sense if the jobs are through International Agencies. You could check what's on offer through the Unjobs site. Google unjobs . . .

In most of these places, the jobs that are easily available are non-training posts. They're usually there to meet service needs, so individuals will get posted to rural areas etc, where the locals of these countries refuse to go. People who decide to embark on such adventures do so with the view to using those countries as transit points to USA/Canada or the UK . . .

The bad thing with this easier access to information is that more people have become informed, so the competition is a lot stiffer . . !

All the best.

bisiswag: @Beneli. U are so God sent. Followed ur posts on medical doctors,lets know you. Pls pls n pls am just abt finishing my housejob n i really want to write primaries in psychiatry,pls where are the best centers to train in nigeria plus can i get materials from you or anyone u could direct me to. Thanks so much

My apologies for the late response.

1. Where are the best centers to train in nigeria?

I have responded to your post in the medical doctors forum. I am afraid I can't really say much when it comes to residency programmes in Nigeria.


2. Can i get materials from you or anyone u could direct me to

What kind of materials did you have in mind?


All the best . . .

ayurdavid: Hi Dr beneli, i read ur post on ‘ur resident shrink‘ & i like it. Pls kindly refer me to a good doctor that can treat clinical depression. Thanks.

I think you should find a 'good' doctor at your nearest teaching hospital.

All the best

beneli:

My apologies for the late response.

1. Where are the best centers to train in nigeria?

I have responded to your post in the medical doctors forum. I am afraid I can't really say much when it comes to residency programmes in Nigeria.


2. Can i get materials from you or anyone u could direct me to

What kind of materials did you have in mind?


All the best . . .

thanks a mill. Any materials you think wil be useful to me for primaries in psych.
Guess u not in the country buh any advice you think i will need b4 i venture into residency and i intend doing it in sa or nigeria
Thanks so much