1st Do No Harm

The article titled “First Do No Harm” written by Michael Kidd AM is an inspirational article for the students like us who are going to practice in the field of medicine. First Do No Harm reframes the traditional doctors’ rule, demonstrating that it should apply not only to patients, but also to doctors themselves. With the extensive medical, professional and academic experience, Michael Kidd have created a legacy to be shared with medical students, junior doctors and experienced medical practitioners across all medical specialties. This article has provided a newmeaning of creed, as it is not only about protecting our patients, it is also about protecting the wellbeing of our colleagues, our families, our environment and ourselves. It’s our privilege to write a reflection paper on this article.
While reading the article, I remembered a quotation from Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider that say “Let’s not kid ourselves. Whatever we diagnose, most patients, if they don't die, get well by themselves. Our job is mainly to try to make them feel better; do no harm”. So it should be clear in our mind that, if we cannot treat a patient then we should not harm also and we should not be involved in contribution of making the condition more worse. This statement is also included in the Hippocratic Oath that a doctor must take after his graduation from medicine, which states “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”.
The article starts with a quote from Albert Schweitzer “I don’t know what your destiny will be but one thing I know, the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve”. We felt that this is anappropriate time for us to read this article. It’s our privilege to read this article to understand the relevance of the creed of Primum non nocere that is, first do no harm.The article reminded me that this creed is