A Passion for Medicine: A Commencement Address to the Class of 2007

摘要

The discipline of medicine employs the scientific method to study the natural phenomena of health and disease. The community of medicine is a moral one implying a moral commitment as a prerequisite for practice. By entering the profession, physicians accept the moral imperatives of their profession, which include altruism, integrity, accountability, excellence, duty, respect for others, and compassion. The practice of medicine operates at the intersection of science, religion, and moral philosophy. Our treatment of patients is based on science, but as humans, we have assigned value to the moral imperatives of the profession that we voluntarily enter. The medical profession is in a time of great change and stress. However, the principles of practice can be summarized in 2 sentences: "Love your neighbor as yourself." "What is hateful to you, do not unto others." Graduation from medical school is a time of great change eliciting feelings of elation, anxiety, sadness, and anticipation. The invitation to deliver the Commencement Address on this occasion is both a great honor and a great responsibility. Just as you are experiencing profound change in your personal and professional lives, the profession you have chosen is also in a period of profound transition. Change is a time of both opportunity and danger. How can we achieve personal and professional stability in this time of transition? How can we embrace the opportunities and challenges of the future while preserving our personal and professional core values?