The Hypocritic Oath, Rewritten

We go into medicine all wide-eyed and with a mission to change the world. We don our White Coats in a glorious ceremony where we are elevated to a status that allows us to be privy to privacy, secrets, and untold stories. We are taught to practice in an ideal way, to accurately measure JVD, to percuss in every exam technique, and to obtain a full review of systems making sure we don’t miss anything. 

And then we graduate wearing our green color hoods symbolizing our entrance into the Doctoral world and take the Oath of Hippocrates, whether the original or modified. 

And as we foray into the real world of medicine, we find ourselves breaking our oaths for many reasons. We break it for loyalty to our employers.  We break it for persuasion by insurance companies that threaten us. We break  it when we are broken and burnt out.  And we find that the reason we entered medicine is no longer what binds us to it – it’s our loans, our lifestyle, our threats, our obligations that hold us… 

So on this note, I thought it would be fun to rewrite the Hippocratic Oath relevant to my Direct Primary Care practice as it stands today, with a little less hypocrisy that we face in medicine. 

This is purely meant for fun and to be thought provoking.  Though it may be fun to induct each new doctor to our world with this oath. I wanted it to be as close to the original oath. 

I swear by Apollo the Healer, by Asclepius, by Hygieia, by Panacea,

and I call upon the 4 Elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water—

the forces that sustain life and reflect the balance of nature—

to witness my oath as a physician of 4 Elements Direct Primary Care & Wellness Space.

I promise to hold sacred the art of medicine,

to practice with love, skill, and humility,

and to remember always that I serve not just illness, but the whole human being.

I will care for my patients with integrity, respect, and without prejudice,

focusing on relationships over bureaucracy, presence over paperwork, and healing over haste.

I will honor my role as a Doctor—teacher and guide—

sharing knowledge freely, fostering autonomy, and empowering those I serve

to participate fully in their health and wholeness.

I will treat those in need with the same devotion I would give my family,

and I will never use my knowledge to harm, exploit, or abandon those who trust me.

I will not be seduced by insurance nor compromised by large hospital systems.

I will remain free of the constraints that separate physician from patient—

for this is the heart of direct primary care.

I will remember that medicine is both science and soul,

and that the art of healing begins with listening.

I will continue to seek wisdom—from CMEs, from expert peers, and most of all, from my patients—

and I will not be ashamed to say “I do not know,” nor will I hesitate to ask for help when needed.  And I always will remember that I am a part of a tribe of Direct Primary Care physicians, and am never alone. 

What I see and hear in the course of care I will hold in the strictest confidence,

as sacred as the lives entrusted to me.

With the 4 Elements as my witness,

and in the presence of those who walk this path beside me,

I pledge to uphold the ideals of this noble calling—

to serve, to heal, to teach, and to never cease growing.

If I keep this oath faithfully,

may I thrive in practice and in spirit, and earn the love of those I serve.

If I stray from it, may I be reminded of this sacred promise I now make.

Disclaimer: Some of the language written for the oath was with inspiration by ChatGPT. 

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