The story evolves around four young medical students who wish to embark upon a career in medicine. It begins with their youthful idealism being directed towards their devotion to the humanitarian needs of society and their desire to personally be involved. Their passion is first questioned by the rigors of a medical education and the emotional turmoil that results from their endeavor. They soon witness the inability to overcome all disease within the limitations of humanism. Yet, not to be discouraged, they continue in their quest to provide comfort to their patients. Upon entering the real world of private practice, they find that their world is filled with obstructive forces from insurance companies, government edicts, avaricious lawyers seeking malpractice action, and a general lack of appreciation from the people they so wished to serve. These forces make their desire to uphold the Hippocratic Oath ever more difficult.