Who believes that doctors actually take the Hippocratic Oath?

No one who graduated in my medical school class took this oath in 1977, but it seems to be the general impression of many people that doctors actually take this oath. I'd be surprised if any doctors on this site have taken the original oath. To do so you would have to swear by Apollo and other pagan gods. You would swear to never perform surgery that would involve cutting with a knife. You would swear to never perform an abortion.
That oath dates back to pre-Christian times. I'll be fascinated if any modern doctors have actually taken that oath.

2009-07-26T19:24:46Z

Good answers. Here's the original oath.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/greek/greek_oath.html
Maybe it was modified for 1954 graduates. The whole class could not have promised to do no surgery with a knife.

2009-07-26T19:28:17Z

Modern version of the oath from 1964.
Very interesting. We didn't use this at my medical school in '77. Excellent answer.

2009-07-27T08:28:45Z

"Skittles are M & M wannabees" raises a good point.
"Primum non nocere" was the first thing we learned in medical school - "First do no harm."
That becomes a sticking point when one is a chemotherapy specialist where we make people sicker to help them get better.

2009-07-27T08:32:14Z

WOW. "Prosper" has an amazing answer in a bevy of very good answers.

Prosper2009-07-26T23:10:54Z

Favorite Answer

Time has changed and I dont think Doctors of this age practice Old traditions.The original text of the Hippocratic Oath is usually interpreted as one of the first statements of a moral of conduct to be used by physicians, assuming the respect for all human life, even unborn. Most Christian tradition interprets the original Hippocratic Oath as a condemnation of abortion and infanticide. "For the first time in our tradition there was a complete separation between killing and curing. Throughout the primitive world, the doctor and the sorcerer tended to be the same person. He with the power to kill had power to cure, including specially the undoing of his own killing activities. He who had the power to cure would necessarily also be able to kill... With the Greeks the distinction was made clear. One profession, the followers of Asclepius, were to be dedicated completely to life under all circumstances, regardless of rank, age or intellect – the life of a slave, the life of the Emperor, the life of a foreign man, the life of a defective child..."

Anonymous2016-11-06T11:34:11Z

Hippocratic Oath Modern Version

Katie2016-05-28T10:42:51Z

1

tmlfan2009-07-26T17:51:47Z

The Hippocratic oath today is symbolic only. Its an ancient oath that most doctors around the world take but are not ethically bound to. What actually is legally and morally binding for a doctor is their medical license. Like you said, one of the lines in the oath is never to give an abortion, but lots of doctors do. And of course, all invasive surgeries require the use of a knife.

Crow Women2009-07-26T21:00:57Z

Well Speed dog i'm vary shocked at this information. Intel now i had know idea Doctors didn't tale the Hippocratic oath. It was always something that gave me a sense of security believing that Doctors took this oath . Knowing now where the oaths roots are bast i'm glad doctors now don't take the oath any more.
I have been under a Doctors care most of my life starting at age six with cancer Hisytotoses X of the vertebra L2 & C4 it has caused me of health problems threw my life . Most of my Doctors spook of believing in a higher power an God so in short i've been in vary good hands all my life .
Thanks for the enlightenment

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