Hippocrates

I took this oath many years ago, and try to abide by it in every single interaction with my patients and co workers.  This has been the guiding principle for my practice through the years. These words were written about  20 centuries ago and are still very relevant to our lives today ! Even though it is primarily taught in medical schools, the principles behind this oath are applicable to all of us, from all walks of life. I quote some basic components of the Hippocratic Oath, as mentioned in Watson, 1988, p.181:

“I shall be loyal to the profession of medicine and just and generous to its members” . This tenet, if applied to the leadership or team context, is a very valuable first principle to guide a team in cohesiveness. If every member of a team is mindful of and fair to other members, it goes a long way towards creating a congenial work environment.

“I will lead my life and practice my art in uprightness and honor”. This principle needs to be adopted not only by physicians,  but by all those who work in the public service fields, as well as lawyers, teachers, bankers. Makes me wonder sometimes, is something similar indeed part of curriculum or a common practice in some other professional fields? I hope some of the other learners on this forum could share their knowledge of this.

“I holding myself aloof from wrong, from corruption and from temptation of others to vice”. This is the basic teaching of every religion, and most of us also receive this teaching in our starting years of school and from our families.

For me as a leader in the medical profession it is of utmost importance to hold myself to high standards that are expected as a healer. Being privy to my patients’ vulnerabilities and their deepest fears is a great responsibility, and I am humbled by it everyday . To be able to guide them through difficult times, my character and integrity have to be beyond reprimand or question. My personal set of values and The Hippocratic Oath guide me through this every day .

To be able to lead my team towards just and kind patient care, I have to lead by example by exhibiting kindness, honesty , integrity and respect . The team looks up to me as a leader and decision maker, they trust me to be able to make the right decision for the patient. In order to earn that trust, I make sure that my team knows that my actions are based on my utmost dedication to what is best for my patient.

In conclusion, I must say that even though the Hippocratic Oath is considered a guide for physician conduct all over the world , the core components of this oath are not restricted to the medical profession only. Neither is this oath all inclusive; there are many instances where a person has to be guided by their own personal code of ethics and their values to help determine their behavior towards others.

Reference

Watson, L. E. (1988). Light from many lamps. New York: Simon & Schuster