But that makes the gift of humility all the more vital. And there have been well-publicised occasions in recent times when it seems to have been lacking. At such times, public confidence can drain away and professional morale can plummet. There is no doubt that patients need surgeons, but surgeons undoubtedly need the trust and confidence of those they seek to serve. Recent events have made that painfully, crystal clear.
Respect has to be earned and in many ways that is quite right.
Anything that smacks of arrogance or high-handedness is unlikely to be productive. Especially when it affects our understanding of the fundamentals of human existence-our beginning and our end. Surgeons of course cannot escape such dilemmas or their consequences. The case of the twins Mary and Jodie, is evidence enough of that. For they surely can help us plot a course between what we can do and what we should do, they can help us use aright the extraordinary gifts God has bestowed upon us.