Compromisos de la relación maestro-alumno en los juramentos médicos (Al abrigo del temple de Quirón)

pp. 238-245

Abstract

The first document medical ethics, The Hippocratic Oath, deals not only with the physician-patient relationship, but also with the commitments assumed by oath takers towards both their teachers and their students. This educational bond is the foundation of all future professional relationship. Therefore, the objetive of the present analysis was to determine if there is any significant difference among te characteristics of oaths, number of oaths in different historial ages, from different sources and origins focusing on the teacher-student commitments and also on those that do not consider the Hippocratic Oath. An additional objective was to determine whether the oaths that manifest the commitments are or not based on Hippocratic oaths. Of the fifty analyzed oaths, thirteen are manifestations of obligations both towards teachers and students, ten only towards teachers, and five only towards students, while twenty two do not express any obligation at all. The only significant relationship found was between the manifesatationof these principles and the oaths' origin. The commitments towards teachers are, in general, respect, gratitude and honour. With regard to students, there are only references to some conditions and contents related to the teaching-learning process are indicated. In conclusion, it is worthy to underline that although commitments towards students have decreased, those related to teachers remain. This difference may be attributed to the fact that not always graduated students beginning their medical practice devote to teaching.