The Eightfold Path and the Healing Arts

For some reason I've been thinking about the eightfold path and it's relation to the healing arts - medicine and psychology. In class we've discussed buddhists monks who've strayed far from the path, not realizing the hidden motivations behind their spiritual practice as a vehicle for self-punishment, ego enhancement or whatever the case can be. By the same token I seem to encounter a lot of professionals in medicine and psychology who's motivations seem to diminish their work, in my eyes. Of course, that's me placing my own perspective on them but at the same time it appears that these people I speak of have chosen their profession out of a desire for money or prestige and not out of a genuine desire to help people who are suffering. And unfortunately, it's very very apparent to me. I don't think they're so good at placing their professional veil on that their patients don't sense this incongruent motivation, this lack of sincerity.

I've encountered it with some of my own doctors, with psychologists who behave as though someone elses trauma is some juicy piece of meat for them to chew on. I even had one friend who is a psychoanalyst state that he's in it for the creative aspect. He then went on to mention a patient he recently took on, who was on self-destructive path and had witnessed some of his own family being decapitated. He spoke of the case with a zest and enthusiasm. It disgusted me actually, he seemed almost leech-like in his presentation. His patient was some messed-up labyrinth, there for him to pry open and unravel so that he might quench his thirst for creative exploration and hell - make a living off of it! UGH.

So, with regards to the Eightfold path, Buddhism and Psychology. I can see one area where I might prefer a proper Buddhist technique - and that's where a Buddhist might see a patient as a whole, worthy person and not just a collection of pscyhotic disorder to be dissected. And perhaps those in these fields with a mind to help people instead of solely for the purpose of making money.