Paths into the Future

hippocrates oath
Originally uploaded by mincaye.

The picture on the right is the Oath of Hippocrates, framed and hung on a wall in the Kluang clinic which Yoshua visits. This shot was taken when Tee Ming was brought there during the Kluang d'NA reunion last year.

As the picture is too small for the words to be legible, I reproduce the oath as follows:

I swear by Apollo the Physician and Asclepios and Hygeia and Panacea and all the gods and goddesses that according to my ability and judgement, I will keep this oath and this stipulation.

I reckon him who taught me this art equally dear to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve his necessities if required, to look upon his offspring in the same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation and that by precept lecture and every other mode of instruction.

I will impart a knowledge of the art to my own sons, and those of my teachers and to disciples bound by a stipulation and oath according to the law of medicine, but to none others. I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgement, I consider for the benefit of my patients and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous.

I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such counsel, and in like-manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion. With purity and with holiness I will pass my life and practise my art. I will not cut persons labouring under the stone but will leave this to be done by men who are practitioners of this work.

Into whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of the sick, and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief and corruption and further from the seduction of females or males, of freemen and slaves.

Whatever, in connection with my professional practice, or not in connection with it, I see or hear in the life of men, which ought not to be spoken of abroad, I will not divulge as reckoning that such should be kept secret while I continue to keep this oath unviolated.

May it be granted to me to enjoy life and the practice of the art respected by men in all times. But should I trespass and violate this oath, may the reverse be my lot.


Something in the article 'How I Would Choose a Doctor,' published in The Star's Fit For Life pullout yesterday, ignited some sort of passion in me.

The full article can be found at

http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2006/1/8/health/13028100&sec=health

But the excerpt I need is below;

A charitable doctor? Someone who will waive his or her consultation charges? Someone who will supply medication to patients free of charge? Dream on – such a creature doesn’t exist! However, there are many doctors who feel moved to waive their consultation charges, or charge only a token fee – and a few who will actually dispense medication free of charge to poor patients.

These are the doctors who actually take the trouble to find out about the economic circumstances of their patients and may be moved to offer them free services. These are the ones who really take the “Hippocratic Oath” seriously.

"Dream on - such a creature doesn't exist..." These are the very words that used to fuel my desire to become a doctor. As I have said before, if I ever become one, I would have to thank Patch Adams.


But lately my interest in this field has been waning. Too many people want to become doctors. I have always wanted to be different; indeed, I am what I am simply because I'm always the odd one out. Hence my peculiar and unique point of view on many things, and my stubbornness.

Besides, we already have at least five doctors within the d'NA community: Jason, Jimi, Sam, Tee Ming, and perhaps Audrey and Tee Keat. Looks like the future of medicine is in good hands.

My passions have turned, over the last year or two, to literature, biology and theology. No matter what, I want to do something in which I'll be able to do that which my blog represents: read, think, write and take photographs.

My mind is not scientific enough to comprehend mathematics and the hard sciences, so the science fields are out. But I still love biology, simply because I love nature and photography. And I love colour; one of the things I have against Malaysian textbooks is their lack of colour.

It is also true that my mind is not imaginative enough to comprehend fiction and much poetry, but I still love literature because it offers a perspective into humanity, which encompasses anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, history and theology: an amazing spectrum across which my thoughts can frolic.

And lately, the interest in theology. I realise that, so far, none of my friends have expressed any clear desire to become a theologian, within d'NA and without. I recall that line from the Guinness advertisement, "Somebody's going to do it; why not you?"

Indeed, why not? I feel very much at home with people like C.S. Lewis, and I can certainly envision a career like that of Dr Leong Tien Fock and Dr Ng Kam Weng. If I am not going to become a priest or a pastor, why not a theologian? Besides, STM is not a bad place to study.

I really don't know anymore. And I'm slowly giving up on the STPM. I just hope I have enough fuel left over at the end of the next ten months, so as not to fail the exam.