The question is who do licensed professionals work for?
Many health professionals are self-employed.
Even those who are employed by corporations are *professionals* and citizens. We have a duty to do the right thing. It is not a defense to say "I was just following orders." Remember not only the Nuremberg trials, but the way we look at those doctors who performed lobotomies on women such as the Kennedy daughter and the doctors who were complicit with managed care's refusal of hospitalizations, surgeries and tests.
I hear ya doc. Couldn't agree more.
I started performing contract computer consulting so that I could dictate the ethics of the business in which I was involved. Starved for the first couple of years. Then started making good money, did my best work, never lost a minutes sleep over it.
IBM then offered me more than twice as much money, to do the same work for them. WHOA! Opportunities to more than double your pay don't come along every day, even in the tech biz. So I joined IBM.
What I discovered though, was that you had to adopt their ethics. My ethics were, provide the best solution you can, and get as much as you can for it. IBM's ethics were, get as much money as you can, as fast as you can, and do only that which is required to get it.
After 6 months with IBM, I left. They forced on me a decision; between the Christian morals and ethics that become more important to me every day, and the additional $85,000 I was making with IBM. No contest.
So I'm back to making a lot less money, doing the best work I can, and honoring my Christian vows. Couldn't be happier with my choice
I believe that is the way principles are suppose to work.