Medicine Heal Thyself
Danny Franke, PhD, ThM, MDiv, Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Alderson Broaddus University
This paper is a presentation on a theme based on the phrase of Hippocrates, “physician heal thyself.” However, I will expand the phrase to “medicine heal thyself,” where medicine includes physicians, nurses, physician assistants, administrators, and indeed the whole medical community. The challenge becomes one as to whether the medical community can heal others if it is sick itself?
In the first part of the paper the lens through which I will examine this dilemma is that known as “quiet quitting.” This refers to a phenomenon in which workers reduce their enthusiasm at work and stick to the minimum expectations of their role. I will address whether this phenomenon is a sign of the limits of medicine to care for body and soul. While quiet quitting may occur in any profession or employment, there are unique problems it presents for the healthcare industry and medical professions.
Many would argue that this phenomenon is a direct result of the COVID pandemic. However, in the second part of this paper I will present the idea that the COVID pandemic was not the cause, but rather it was the catalyst that allowed medical professionals the opportunity to practice quiet quitting. These causes run deeper than the COVID pandemic.
Finally, I will conclude the paper with some suggestions for healing itself when the medical community has reached its limits to care for the body and soul of others. If the expression is accurate, healing must occur within the medical community itself before it can become a healing agent for the sick. Healing agents such as confidence, reliability, and trust must be experienced within the medical community itself before they can be experienced from outside the medical community. If not, quiet quitting may be experienced by the public as well.
In the first part of the paper the lens through which I will examine this dilemma is that known as “quiet quitting.” This refers to a phenomenon in which workers reduce their enthusiasm at work and stick to the minimum expectations of their role. I will address whether this phenomenon is a sign of the limits of medicine to care for body and soul. While quiet quitting may occur in any profession or employment, there are unique problems it presents for the healthcare industry and medical professions.
Many would argue that this phenomenon is a direct result of the COVID pandemic. However, in the second part of this paper I will present the idea that the COVID pandemic was not the cause, but rather it was the catalyst that allowed medical professionals the opportunity to practice quiet quitting. These causes run deeper than the COVID pandemic.
Finally, I will conclude the paper with some suggestions for healing itself when the medical community has reached its limits to care for the body and soul of others. If the expression is accurate, healing must occur within the medical community itself before it can become a healing agent for the sick. Healing agents such as confidence, reliability, and trust must be experienced within the medical community itself before they can be experienced from outside the medical community. If not, quiet quitting may be experienced by the public as well.