Where is the line between our personal and professional lives? Do we live our values as a health professional in our personal sphere?
I would want to believe that the core values and purpose of a health practitioner is to help others, and to do things that improve their health. But I would take that further too, and argue that we have a collective responsibility to act in the public good. This is part of our social contract - the obligation society imposes on us in exchange for the benefits we reap as a health professional.
Adam Grant, in his book ‘Give and Take’, says the following:
‘More and more people are putting a premium on providers who have established relationships and reputations as givers. You hope your doctor, lawyer, teacher, dentist, plumber and real estate agent will focus on contributing value to you, not claiming value from you.’
And whilst Adam Grant clearly means this within the context of a dentist-patient relationship, I think that it equally applies more broadly – that society places a premium on professions who are contributing value to the whole community, not just claiming value from it.
In this episode of the Dental As Anything podcast I pose the question of whether health practitioners should invest in companies that cause harm and contribute to the stream of patients coming through our doors. Should making greater investment returns come at the expense of public health? Does this blur the lines between personal and professional?
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Previous Episodes
In case you missed it, you can catch up with the previous episodes of the Dental As Anything podcast here. Or check-out the top 4 most listened to episodes:
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