Reflections on The Hippocratic Oath
‘I will treat my colleagues as I would have myself be treated’
Or was it ‘as I would treat my brothers and my sisters.’ I forgot, anyway- This is a statement scribed in the Hippocratic oath. Maybe in the hopes that we would avoid any conflict, that is to set aside all personal gain and need for ego fulfilment in place of everyone's benefit and ultimately that of the patient's, at least that is what I think.
I don’t think words are enough to describe how deeply sorry I am for any harm I’ve caused my peers thus far, with or without knowledge or intention of doing so. We are in no way practitioners and in no way obligated to live by the oath. But coming forward, we will have to work together. I hope we can get used it.
I may not be the friendliest or nicest but in whatever I do I intend for the best of everyone’s interest. If we can't get along at least I hope neither of us mean each other any ill will.
Primum Non Nocere
“First do no harm.” Another segment of the Hippocratic oath, or a quote from Hippocrates himself, I forgot. Of course you want to do this in medical settings, you don’t want to hurt your patient and worsen their condition, you’ve been entrusted to help them after all.
But in the process, some aid requires discomfort towards the patient: chest compressions might fracture the ribs, shoving a catheter up the urethra is uncomfortable, stimulating pain is essential to tracing its cause, IV lines requires puncturing patients’ hand with a needle, same for injections, some conditions require you to cut open a person to access their organs and make alterations to save them, some other times you leave a hole in their body as a solution, or foreign objects in there, and sometimes you have to suppress their immune system to stop certain reactions, in the process leaving them prone to infections, and so on, and so forth.
It’s no excuse to justify any harm but it possible to do none at all? It’s as if causing harm is inevitable. That is in medical settings, let alone in daily life. I used to think I should do my best to avoid hurting but apparently that can’t be the case: you will hurt and you will be hurt. Intentional or unintentional. Emotional at the bare minimum, physical at the extreme. You don’t want any of it to happen, but as you live and learn, you understand it’s how well you avoid what causes the other person harm, and how well you take a blow.
Sometimes you may have done it, and some other times it may have been done on you. It leaves you no choice but to flee or take accountability, and to hold a grudge or to accept and forgive. Ideally you want to do the latter, as difficult as it is. You will try your best to avoid doing harm, as you hope to be treated so. Unfortunately, you won’t always be treated as you do. Just as the other person tries to treat you with caution, you may take them carelessly. Out of ignorance, complacency, negligence, narcissism, malevolence, dissatisfaction, recklessness, whatever it is.
You will never know their intention, but maybe it’s enough figure out what yours is. It’s no justification for abuse but what is done has been done. It’s up to you to forgive them or to hold resentment for life. It’s also up to you to act as if nothing happened, or to take responsibility for your actions.
If you choose the latter, good on you. Recovery takes time and conscientiousness is golden. Please keep it up. If this does not deter your spirit from starting or maintaining a relationship, then God speed you. Hurting is inevitable, but I hope you experience more joy than pain in the process.