I was asked to be on a panel not long ago where we were asked to answer this question: “What does it mean to transcend politics in medicine?”

There is no way to answer this question without considering some definitions. Specifically,  what do we mean when we say “politics” and what does it mean to “transcend” something? 

The word “politics” comes from the ancient Greek word politiká which meant “affairs of the city”. There is a science that studies politics which means there are many definitions of “politics” that might help us. My favorite, and the one I think is most pertinent to medicine, comes from Harold Lasswell who defined politics as “who gets what, when, and how.”

The second word to think about is transcend, which Merriam Webster defines  as “rising above or going beyond the limits of” something, or to “triumph over the the negative or restrictive aspects of” something. But for me, the essence of “transcend” is found in the ancient Latin roots of the word – trans, which means “across” and “scandere” which means to climb. Transcend means to climb across. 

So how do we “transcend politics”? 

The first, and obvious answer based on the meanings of the words is that we “climb across” the idea of “who gets what, when, and how” as defining what it means to be a healer (or to run a system devoted to healing).

But maybe that misses the point. 

Instead of “transcending” politics, I wonder if it isn’t more appropriate to dive into politics, to accept the responsibility and work of helping define “who gets what, when, and how” guided by principles that put people over profit. Maybe redefining our foundational beliefs, the reasons we seek to heal, is actually the best way to “rise above” the current crisis in medicine we are experiencing.

What do you think?