Commitment

Many trends in military medicine and civilian medical practice portend change that is unsettling to physicians. Historically, the medical profession has responded to patients' needs with both the art and the science of medicine. Many of the lessons learned regarding humanism in medicine are worth repeating. It is the job of physicians as teachers to keep bringing us back to certain basic principles. Commitment to God, country, honor, courage, leadership, and teaching should be stressed among those principles. Military physicians must also develop an attitude regarding their dual officer/doctor role because military and medical objectives may present difficult ethical decisions. In addition, observance of time-honored customs and traditions can bring a sense of justifiable pride to the physician caring for our nation's military members, their families, and retirees.