Content Analyses of Oaths Administered at U.S. Medical Schools in 2000

Abstract

Many medical schools' oaths differ in substantive content. The impact of using a nonstandardized medical oath on physicians' professionalism and the inculcation of common ethical values and principles remains unknown.

Beneficence, justice, and lifelong learning expressed in medical oaths

“…17,30,52 The Hippocratic Oath was reevaluated in the Middle Ages by Christianity, Judaism, and Islamism, and its use expanded to graduation ceremonies at medieval schools. 56 It is worth mentioning that of the 16 revised versions of the Hippocratic Oath, 6 point out the commitment to lifelong learning.…”

“…Also, in recent decades, studies have been carried out on the use of oaths in medical schools of the United States and Canada, [25][26][27][28][29][30] the United Kingdom, 31 and Argentina. 32 Some of these publications also analyzed the other commitments adopted by those who take the oath.…”

“…32 Some of these publications also analyzed the other commitments adopted by those who take the oath. [26][27][28][29][30]32 None of these reports overtly discusses the commitment to lifelong learning except Friedlander. 27 He placed the subject in 17th place on a list that includes 26 items, and it is mentioned in 21% of the oaths.…”

“…Because competence should be achieved by education at a medical school and also by lifelong learning and because this achievement will depend on the commitment of the professional, always with patients' well-being as the ultimate goal (a principle shared by most of the oaths [26][27][28][29][30]32 ), we found it interesting to examine the obligation to lifelong learning or CME 5,9,11-13 expressed in medical oaths at different times and from different sources (pertaining to medical schools or not) to determine if it is linked with the principle of beneficence. [2][3][4]10 Our first objective was to determine if there was a relationship between medical oaths at different times and from different sources and whether there was a manifest commitment toward lifelong learning or CME.…”

Doctors Are People Too

“…First, not all physicians recognize the unqualified primacy of the Hippocratic oath over other ethical obligations of a physician within society (Kao and Parsi 2004). Consider the "Principles of Medical Ethics" as promulgated by the American Medical Association (AMA) (Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs of the American Medical Association 2008, xv): "A physician shall .…”