The Hippocratic Oath

• 1. What is the purpose of the words: “I swear by Apollo…and all the gods and goddesses?” What might some appropriate contemporary counterparts be?
• 2. What is the significance of “According to my ability and judgment”? Why are these words important? What do they imply in terms of responsibility?
• 3. What are the five obligations to the physician’s teacher(s) specifically noted in the “Oath”? Why did these obligations exist in Hippocrates’ time? Why might they be appropriate today as well? What alternatives to them might be applicable or appropriate today?
• 4. What stipulations for the continuance of the art of healing does the oath lay down? Why were these conditions necessary in Hippocrates’ time? Why are they necessary today?
• 5. What five obligations, both requirements and prohibitions, does the “Oath” establish for the physician in relation to the patient? Why are these significant? What do they tell us about the theory of medicine practiced by Hippocrates and his disciples? Which might be deleted today? What might you add for today’s physicians?
• 6. What moral obligations does the oath set forth in describing the professional conduct of a physician? What are the reasons for each obligation? Are these obligations still relevant today? Why or why not? What tradition regarding the physician/patient relationship was established in the oath and continues to the present day, by force of common law?
• 7. What are the rewards of keeping the oath? What are the consequences of breaking it? Do these seem appropriate in both cases? Why or why not? How are they enforced in theory? How were they probably enforced in fact?
• 8. Which sentence in the “Oath” differentiates the Hippocratic concept of the art of healing from the art of surgery?

Now, write an outline of the oath using brief topics to identify each of the major parts of it.

After you have finished your outline and put it aside, ponder your own future profession. Yes, of course, you do not know exactly what profession you will be practicing ten years from now. However, you probably have an idea of what work you would like to be doing. If you have two or three professions you feel interested in, then simply select one of them. Then, follow these steps.

• Find out the requirements for entering your chosen profession: high school courses, college majors and minors, post-graduate work, and any on-the-job experiences (such as the residency requirement placed on medical students).
• Make a list of the reasons you think you might like to pursue your chosen career.
• Make another list – this time a double column arrangement. Identify the advantages and disadvantages connected with your chosen profession.
• Make yet another list of the moral implications of your chosen profession. (Don’t kid yourself: every profession has moral implications.)

Now that you have made a thorough inquiry into the motivations behind your choice and the demands of the selected profession, write an oath modeled after “The Hippocratic Oath” for your chosen profession.

This is a regular writing assignment; however, it is not an essay. The fact that it is a regular writing assignment means that all the usual criteria for grading apply.

• The writing must be specific and concrete. The sentences must be complete, coherent, and correct in form.
• The spelling, punctuation, and capitalization must conform to the standards of formal written English.
• All points of the original “Hippocratic Oath” must be reflected in your oath.
• The assignment must be single-spaced. Typed submissions are preferred; handwritten submissions must be written neatly in ink. If handwritten, it must be in your best handwriting because we will be photocopying all the oaths.