RESUMO
The present work aims to discuss some crucial contemporary ethical questions the profession of medicine has to face in order for it to be true to its vocation and its very reason of existence. The commodification that has been impimging in all areas of the globalized world and the conservative waves stemming from the attitude of some religious authorities who put abstract principles before people´s well-being (as is the question of abortion) throw the profession of medicine in an unprecedented crisis that can threaten its very survival. A "professional" is by definition one who makes a public promise to do work for others considered crucial to society and because of this all professional of medicine have a serious responsability regarding the oposition to this unjust state of affairs. As every serious responsability requires a serious commitment, the paper urges all medical professionals, both indiviaduality and collectively, to take a unswering responsability of defending the bioethical principles of beneficence and non-maleficence - the very crux of the profession of medicine.