*By Dr Devan
1. The Forgotten Oath and the Harsh Reality
The medical profession was once revered as a divine calling. The physician was seen as the earthly representative of healing itself — a custodian of life and a servant of humanity. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, envisioned the doctor as a man of virtue, intellect, and compassion — one who lived not for wealth but for wisdom and service.
Yet, times have changed. The noble pedestal upon which the doctor once stood has eroded under the weight of societal neglect, commercialisation, and misplaced expectations. Today, doctors find themselves in a paradoxical position — expected to serve selflessly like saints, yet judged and treated like service providers in a transactional world.
Thus arises the undeniable truth of our times: Doctors must make money — not out of greed, but out of necessity, dignity, and justice.
2. The Myth of the Selfless Healer
For centuries, society has romanticised the idea of the “selfless doctor” — one who toils without rest, charges little or nothing, and dedicates his life to others. While altruism remains the moral cornerstone of medicine, the modern world no longer operates on moral currency. Hospitals charge rent, instruments cost lakhs, insurance companies dictate terms, and patients often evaluate a doctor’s worth through Google reviews rather than gratitude.
To expect doctors to live by ancient ideals in an age that has abandoned them is hypocrisy. The modern physician is not a sage in an ashram; he is a professional in a world of commerce. To deny him fair financial reward is to deny him respect, survival, and self-worth.
3. The Broken Social Contract
Once, there existed an unspoken social contract between doctors and society: the doctor would dedicate his life to service, and society in return would protect, respect, and honour him. That contract lies in ruins today.
Doctors are assaulted by patients’ families when outcomes turn unfavourable. They are dragged into legal cases, humiliated on social media, and burdened by endless bureaucracy. Governments impose price caps on consultations and procedures while ignoring the years of education and sacrifice it takes to produce a skilled clinician.
If society fails to uphold its end of the bargain — to protect and revere its healers — it forfeits the right to demand that doctors remain self-sacrificing.
4. The Economics of Education and Sacrifice
Let us pause to consider the journey of a doctor.
He or she spends the most vibrant years of life — often 10 to 15 years — in intense study, sleepless nights, examinations, and constant pressure. While their peers in other fields earn, marry, and settle, the young doctor is still reading pathology or attending rounds. Medical education costs lakhs, sometimes crores, especially for postgraduate and super-speciality training.
When the doctor finally begins to practice, he does so often burdened by loans, delayed income, and the weight of expectations. Should such a person not be compensated fairly, not as a trader of life, but as one who has earned every rupee through sacrifice?
To suggest otherwise is to insult the very spirit of human equity.
5. The Moral Fallacy of Free Service
Many argue that healthcare should be free and that doctors should not profit from suffering. While noble in theory, this argument collapses in practice. Electricity, medicines, surgical equipment, and hospital infrastructure are not free. Should the only person expected to serve without reward be the one who saves lives?
No one questions the salaries of engineers, the profits of entrepreneurs, or the bonuses of bankers — yet a doctor who charges his due fee is labelled “commercial.” The hypocrisy is glaring. If society wishes medicine to remain a charitable profession, then it must also provide doctors with charitable support — housing, safety, pensions, and prestige. Since it does not, financial compensation becomes the rightful substitute for moral recognition.
6. The Physician’s Right to Prosper
Earning well does not make a doctor unethical. In fact, financial stability empowers ethical practice. The doctor who is secure in his livelihood is free from the pressures of corruption, defensive medicine, or overwork. Prosperity allows him to upgrade technology, hire staff, fund research, and provide better care.
Money, when earned with honesty, becomes a tool of healing — not a stain on virtue. A doctor who thrives financially can also afford to treat the poor free of charge, something the struggling doctor often cannot.
Thus, wealth in medicine is not the enemy of ethics; it is the foundation that sustains it.
7. Hippocrates and the Modern Context
When Hippocrates wrote his famous oath in the 5th century BCE, physicians were considered philosophers, and society placed them next only to priests. They were given food, shelter, and honour by the communities they served. They did not need to “charge” — they were cared for by the system they cared for.
Today’s world is different. The Hippocratic ideal of the selfless healer survives only when society reciprocates. Since modern civilisation neither houses, feeds, nor honours its healers as ancient Greece did, the doctor must now ensure his own survival.
To make money in such a world is not to betray Hippocrates — it is to adapt his wisdom to modern realism. The spirit of Hippocrates was service, not slavery; compassion, not martyrdom.
8. The Decline of Reverence and the Rise of Consumerism
In ancient times, the patient approached the doctor with humility and faith. Today, the patient approaches with suspicion, armed with Google searches and legal awareness. The doctor, once seen as a guardian of life, is now viewed as a service provider — one among many competing in a market economy.
If society has commodified healthcare, it cannot simultaneously deny doctors the right to fair compensation. You cannot convert the doctor into a businessman and then criticise him for doing business. The moral compass must point both ways.
9. The Doctor’s Dilemma
Most doctors do not enter medicine for money alone. They enter it for meaning. But when society punishes sacrifice and mocks idealism, meaning alone cannot sustain them. Many doctors today experience burnout, depression, and even suicide — not from lack of purpose, but from lack of appreciation and economic security.
To demand constant sacrifice from a profession that is already exhausted is both cruel and short-sighted. A happy, respected, and well-paid doctor heals better — for healing flows from emotional wholeness, not deprivation.
10. The Economics of Gratitude
Money is not merely a medium of exchange; it is also a symbol of value. When a patient pays his doctor fairly, he is not purchasing treatment — he is acknowledging years of learning, discipline, and unseen effort.
To compensate a doctor well is an act of respect, not indulgence. A society that pays its healers poorly sends a dangerous message: that life itself is cheap.
The worth of a civilisation can be judged by how it treats those who save its lives — not its celebrities, but its doctors.
11. The Balance Between Service and Success
There must, of course, be balance. The pursuit of wealth must not overshadow the ethics of care. A doctor’s power over life demands restraint, integrity, and moral clarity. Greed corrupts, but so does underappreciation.
The ideal physician of the 21st century must blend Hippocratic compassion with economic wisdom — serving humanity while ensuring that his own life is secure, respected, and rewarding.
12. The Future of Medicine Depends on This Balance
If medicine is to attract bright, motivated, and humane minds, society must make the profession sustainable. When young doctors see their seniors harassed, underpaid, or attacked, they lose faith in the calling.
A well-rewarded doctor can afford time to research, innovate, and teach. A struggling doctor rushes from patient to patient, fighting for survival. Thus, valuing doctors financially is not a luxury — it is an investment in the health of the nation.
13. Society’s Duty and the Doctor’s Right Society owes its doctors:
Safety from violence and legal harassment. Reasonable compensation for education and risk. Recognition of their mental and emotional toll. Freedom from political and administrative interference in clinical judgment.
Until these are guaranteed, no one has the moral authority to demand that doctors remain ascetic in a material world.
14. The Moral of the New Hippocratic Era
If Hippocrates lived today, he would perhaps rewrite his oath:
“I shall serve mankind to the best of my ability, but I shall also ensure that I am sustained, respected, and justly rewarded, for only the cared-for can truly care for others.”
True morality in medicine lies not in self-denial but in self-preservation for continued service.
15. Conclusion — Dignity Through Prosperity
A doctor’s first duty is to his patient, but his second duty is to himself. A drained, indebted, or disrespected physician cannot heal effectively. Society’s neglect has turned the healer’s nobility into vulnerability.
Therefore, doctors must learn to claim their rightful earnings — not out of avarice, but to maintain dignity in a world that no longer offers it freely.
The time has come to redefine the Hippocratic ideal — not as poverty in service, but as prosperity in purpose.
Only when the healer is healed — socially, emotionally, and economically — can the art of medicine truly flourish again.
“The doctor who values his worth does not betray Hippocrates — he fulfils him.
For only a respected healer can restore respect to healing itself.”
*Dr. Devan is a Mangaluru-based ENT specialist and author.
1. The Forgotten Oath and the Harsh Reality
The medical profession was once revered as a divine calling. The physician was seen as the earthly representative of healing itself — a custodian of life and a servant of humanity. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, envisioned the doctor as a man of virtue, intellect, and compassion — one who lived not for wealth but for wisdom and service.
Yet, times have changed. The noble pedestal upon which the doctor once stood has eroded under the weight of societal neglect, commercialisation, and misplaced expectations. Today, doctors find themselves in a paradoxical position — expected to serve selflessly like saints, yet judged and treated like service providers in a transactional world.
Thus arises the undeniable truth of our times: Doctors must make money — not out of greed, but out of necessity, dignity, and justice.
2. The Myth of the Selfless Healer
For centuries, society has romanticised the idea of the “selfless doctor” — one who toils without rest, charges little or nothing, and dedicates his life to others. While altruism remains the moral cornerstone of medicine, the modern world no longer operates on moral currency. Hospitals charge rent, instruments cost lakhs, insurance companies dictate terms, and patients often evaluate a doctor’s worth through Google reviews rather than gratitude.
To expect doctors to live by ancient ideals in an age that has abandoned them is hypocrisy. The modern physician is not a sage in an ashram; he is a professional in a world of commerce. To deny him fair financial reward is to deny him respect, survival, and self-worth.
3. The Broken Social Contract
Once, there existed an unspoken social contract between doctors and society: the doctor would dedicate his life to service, and society in return would protect, respect, and honour him. That contract lies in ruins today.
Doctors are assaulted by patients’ families when outcomes turn unfavourable. They are dragged into legal cases, humiliated on social media, and burdened by endless bureaucracy. Governments impose price caps on consultations and procedures while ignoring the years of education and sacrifice it takes to produce a skilled clinician.
If society fails to uphold its end of the bargain — to protect and revere its healers — it forfeits the right to demand that doctors remain self-sacrificing.
4. The Economics of Education and Sacrifice
Let us pause to consider the journey of a doctor.
He or she spends the most vibrant years of life — often 10 to 15 years — in intense study, sleepless nights, examinations, and constant pressure. While their peers in other fields earn, marry, and settle, the young doctor is still reading pathology or attending rounds. Medical education costs lakhs, sometimes crores, especially for postgraduate and super-speciality training.
When the doctor finally begins to practice, he does so often burdened by loans, delayed income, and the weight of expectations. Should such a person not be compensated fairly, not as a trader of life, but as one who has earned every rupee through sacrifice?
To suggest otherwise is to insult the very spirit of human equity.
5. The Moral Fallacy of Free Service
Many argue that healthcare should be free and that doctors should not profit from suffering. While noble in theory, this argument collapses in practice. Electricity, medicines, surgical equipment, and hospital infrastructure are not free. Should the only person expected to serve without reward be the one who saves lives?
No one questions the salaries of engineers, the profits of entrepreneurs, or the bonuses of bankers — yet a doctor who charges his due fee is labelled “commercial.” The hypocrisy is glaring. If society wishes medicine to remain a charitable profession, then it must also provide doctors with charitable support — housing, safety, pensions, and prestige. Since it does not, financial compensation becomes the rightful substitute for moral recognition.
6. The Physician’s Right to Prosper
Earning well does not make a doctor unethical. In fact, financial stability empowers ethical practice. The doctor who is secure in his livelihood is free from the pressures of corruption, defensive medicine, or overwork. Prosperity allows him to upgrade technology, hire staff, fund research, and provide better care.
Money, when earned with honesty, becomes a tool of healing — not a stain on virtue. A doctor who thrives financially can also afford to treat the poor free of charge, something the struggling doctor often cannot.
Thus, wealth in medicine is not the enemy of ethics; it is the foundation that sustains it.
7. Hippocrates and the Modern Context
When Hippocrates wrote his famous oath in the 5th century BCE, physicians were considered philosophers, and society placed them next only to priests. They were given food, shelter, and honour by the communities they served. They did not need to “charge” — they were cared for by the system they cared for.
Today’s world is different. The Hippocratic ideal of the selfless healer survives only when society reciprocates. Since modern civilisation neither houses, feeds, nor honours its healers as ancient Greece did, the doctor must now ensure his own survival.
To make money in such a world is not to betray Hippocrates — it is to adapt his wisdom to modern realism. The spirit of Hippocrates was service, not slavery; compassion, not martyrdom.
8. The Decline of Reverence and the Rise of Consumerism
In ancient times, the patient approached the doctor with humility and faith. Today, the patient approaches with suspicion, armed with Google searches and legal awareness. The doctor, once seen as a guardian of life, is now viewed as a service provider — one among many competing in a market economy.
If society has commodified healthcare, it cannot simultaneously deny doctors the right to fair compensation. You cannot convert the doctor into a businessman and then criticise him for doing business. The moral compass must point both ways.
9. The Doctor’s Dilemma
Most doctors do not enter medicine for money alone. They enter it for meaning. But when society punishes sacrifice and mocks idealism, meaning alone cannot sustain them. Many doctors today experience burnout, depression, and even suicide — not from lack of purpose, but from lack of appreciation and economic security.
To demand constant sacrifice from a profession that is already exhausted is both cruel and short-sighted. A happy, respected, and well-paid doctor heals better — for healing flows from emotional wholeness, not deprivation.
10. The Economics of Gratitude
Money is not merely a medium of exchange; it is also a symbol of value. When a patient pays his doctor fairly, he is not purchasing treatment — he is acknowledging years of learning, discipline, and unseen effort.
To compensate a doctor well is an act of respect, not indulgence. A society that pays its healers poorly sends a dangerous message: that life itself is cheap.
The worth of a civilisation can be judged by how it treats those who save its lives — not its celebrities, but its doctors.
11. The Balance Between Service and Success
There must, of course, be balance. The pursuit of wealth must not overshadow the ethics of care. A doctor’s power over life demands restraint, integrity, and moral clarity. Greed corrupts, but so does underappreciation.
The ideal physician of the 21st century must blend Hippocratic compassion with economic wisdom — serving humanity while ensuring that his own life is secure, respected, and rewarding.
12. The Future of Medicine Depends on This Balance
If medicine is to attract bright, motivated, and humane minds, society must make the profession sustainable. When young doctors see their seniors harassed, underpaid, or attacked, they lose faith in the calling.
A well-rewarded doctor can afford time to research, innovate, and teach. A struggling doctor rushes from patient to patient, fighting for survival. Thus, valuing doctors financially is not a luxury — it is an investment in the health of the nation.
13. Society’s Duty and the Doctor’s Right Society owes its doctors:
Safety from violence and legal harassment. Reasonable compensation for education and risk. Recognition of their mental and emotional toll. Freedom from political and administrative interference in clinical judgment.
Until these are guaranteed, no one has the moral authority to demand that doctors remain ascetic in a material world.
14. The Moral of the New Hippocratic Era
If Hippocrates lived today, he would perhaps rewrite his oath:
“I shall serve mankind to the best of my ability, but I shall also ensure that I am sustained, respected, and justly rewarded, for only the cared-for can truly care for others.”
True morality in medicine lies not in self-denial but in self-preservation for continued service.
15. Conclusion — Dignity Through Prosperity
A doctor’s first duty is to his patient, but his second duty is to himself. A drained, indebted, or disrespected physician cannot heal effectively. Society’s neglect has turned the healer’s nobility into vulnerability.
Therefore, doctors must learn to claim their rightful earnings — not out of avarice, but to maintain dignity in a world that no longer offers it freely.
The time has come to redefine the Hippocratic ideal — not as poverty in service, but as prosperity in purpose.
Only when the healer is healed — socially, emotionally, and economically — can the art of medicine truly flourish again.
“The doctor who values his worth does not betray Hippocrates — he fulfils him.
For only a respected healer can restore respect to healing itself.”
*Dr. Devan is a Mangaluru-based ENT specialist and author.
. It’s no more a noble profession.as consumerism has entered. Now a single speciality practice doesn’t exist or is becoming obsolete. Hospitals with multi discipline service is the order of the day. No more the Hospitals are run by Doctors. It’s the insurance people and non medical MBA’s who are running the Hospitals. It has become more of Give and take. People [Quacks & non allopathic individuals] are asking for a cuts in the professional fees to Refer patients to them. It’s more of commercial type like Give & Take. Even a teachers Job is better than the medical profession. There are True Doctors still existing & practing to the core of Hippocratic Oath. But there Number is slowly depleting. Now it’s no more Noble.
ReplyDelete. It’s no more a noble profession.as consumerism has entered. Now a single speciality practice doesn’t exist or is becoming obsolete. Hospitals with multi discipline service is the order of the day. No more the Hospitals are run by Doctors. It’s the insurance people and non medical MBA’s who are running the Hospitals. It has become more of Give and take. People [Quacks & non allopathic individuals] are asking for a cuts in the professional fees to Refer patients to them. It’s more of commercial type like Give & Take. Even a teachers Job is better than the medical profession. There are True Doctors still existing & practing to the core of Hippocratic Oath. But there Number is slowly depleting. Now it’s no more Noble.
ReplyDelete