15 Great Quotes by Physicians

During my journalism career, I’ve found that a thoughtful quote can inspire others. And since today’s physician, like the rest of us, needs inspiration I did some research.

Here a few quality quotes to ponder. All of the quoted are doctors:

1. “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”

—Carl Jung

2. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

—Albert Schweitzer

3. “There are only two sorts of doctors: those who practice with their brains, and those who practice with their tongues.”

—William Osler

4. “Let the young know they will never find a more interesting, more instructive book than the patient himself.”

—Giorgio Baglivi

5. “The aim of medicine is to prevent disease and prolong life; the ideal of medicine is to eliminate the need of a physician.”

—William J. Mayo

6. “Science has everything to say about what is possible. Science has nothing to say about what is permissible.”

—Charles Krauthammer

7. “Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you're being had.”

—Michael Crichton

8. “When a doctor does go wrong he is the first of criminals. He has nerve and he has knowledge.”

—Arthur Conan Doyle

9. “True health care reform cannot happen in Washington. It has to happen in our kitchens, in our homes, in our communities. All health care is personal.”

—Mehmet Oz

10. “Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength.”

•Sigmund Freud

11. “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.”

•Benjamin Spock

12. “I have had dreams and I have had nightmares, but I have conquered my nightmares because of my dreams.”

—Jonas Salk

13. “We get out of life what we put into it. The way we treat others is the way we ourselves get treated.”

—Ben Carson

14. “Sometimes, the best thing we can do for our patients is to tell them what the best behavior is and then negotiate something they can live with.”

—Nancy Dickey

15. “Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation.”

—C. Everett Koop