© Springer International Publishing AG 2018 309
T.S. Köhler, B. Schwartz (eds.), Surgeons as Educators,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64728-9_18
Surgeons’ Reactions to Error
“First, Do No Harm”: Rectifying the Perceived
Hypocrisy of the Hippocratic Oath
Melanie Hammond Mobilio and Carol-anne Moulton
I will not be ashamed to say ‘I know not,’ nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the
skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery. [ 1 ].Introduction
“First, do no harm”—the powerful mandate that springs to mind when we think of
the role of the medical professional is thought to be captured succinctly within the
Hippocratic Oath. The trouble is, the words themselves are actually not found any-
where within the oath. This vow—one that so many consider to be synonymous
with entering the world of medical practice—is in fact a much lengthier and involved
pledge to practice medicine in an ethical manner, without offering the impossible
promise that mistakes will never be made. Unfortunately, the stereotype of the ideal
surgeon (or more broadly, physician) as one who “does no harm” remains very
much present in current surgical culture. This stereotype holds widespread implica-
tions for patients, families, and surgeons themselves.
More than a decade ago the American Institute of Medicine published To Err is
Human, the seminal report that led to heightened public awareness of the large
number of morbidities and mortalities associated with surgical complications [ 2 ].
M.H. Mobilio
Wilson Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
C.-a. Moulton (*)
Wilson Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Division of General Surgery, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
e-mail: [email protected]