Upon graduation, many medical students take a modern version of the oath written by Louis Lasagna in 1964.

• The Hippocratic Oath Today:
  Meaningless Relic or Invaluable Moral Guide?
  
• The Hippocratic Oath -- classical version
  
• Doctors' Responses
  
• Non-Doctors' Responses
• Introduction
  

An Oath that “Bears the Name of Hippocrates”

I do solemnly swear, by whatever each of us holds most sacred

That I will be loyal to the Profession of Medicine and just and generous to its members

That I will lead my life and practice my art in uprightness and honor

That into whatsoever house I will enter: it shall be for the good of the sick to the utmost of my power, my holding myself far aloof from wrong, from corruption, from the tempting of others to vice

That I will exercise my art solely for the cure of my patients, and will give no drug, perform no operation for a criminal purpose, even if solicited; far less suggest it

That whatsoever I shall see or hear of the lives of my patients which is not fitting to be spoken, I will keep inviolably secret

These things do I swear. Let each of us bow the head in sign of acquiescence

And now, if I will be true to this, my oath, may good repute ever be mine; the opposite, if I should prove myself forsworn.

http://www.aapsonline.org/ethics/oaths.htm#bears

Psychotherapist's Oath

As a psychotherapist:

I must first do no harm.

I will promote healing and well-being in my clients and place the client’s and public’s interests above my own at all times.

I will respect the integrity of the persons with whom I am working, and I will remain objective in my relationships with clients and will act with integrity in dealing with other professionals.

I will provide only those services for which I have had the appropriate training and experience and will keep my technical competency at the highest level in order to uphold professional standards of practice.

I will not violate the physical boundaries of the client and will always provide a safe and trusting haven for healing.

I will defend the profession against unjust criticism and defend colleagues against unjust actions.

I will seek to improve and expand my knowledge through continuing education.

I will refrain from any conduct that would reflect adversely upon the best interest of The American Psychotherapy Association and its ethical standards.

Professional School Psychology Oath

I pledge to strive throughout my career for the highest level of professionalism in the practice of school psychology. I will be an advocate for children and youth and seek creative and constructive ways to serve as many as I can while upholding the standards of best practice. I will abide by the spirit as well as the letter of the federal special education laws. However, my role extends beyond being a gatekeeper for special education. I will become actively involved as a consultant and intervention specialist to facilitate the learning, behavior, and social/emotional development of all students. I will try to deliver the highest level of professional services to teachers, parents, and administrators. I will keep current in my knowledge of the research and professional literature on the diagnosis and treatment of developmental, learning, behavioral, and mental disorders that affect school performance of children and youth. As a scientist-practitioner, in my practice I will draw upon science and a deep commitment to all human beings and respect for diversity. I pledge to uphold the ethical standards of the National Association of School Psychologists and the American Psychological Association.

Note: This oath is taken by graduate students in the School Psychology program at the University of Washington prior to graduation.

http://depts.washington.edu/coe/programs/ep/deg_programs/sch_psy/sphandbook/orgsoath.html

Declaration of Geneva of the World Medical Association

(adopted 1948, amended 1966 and 1983):

I solemnly pledge myself to consecrate my life to the service of humanity;
I will give my teachers the respect and gratitude which is their due;
I will practice my profession with conscience and dignity;
The health of my patient will be my first consideration;
I will respect the secrets which are confided in me, even after the patient has died;
I will maintain by all the means in my power, the honor and the noble traditions of the medical profession;
My colleagues will be my brothers;
I will not permit considerations of religion, nationality, race, party politics or social standing to intervene between my duty and my patient;
I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from its beginning even under threat and I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity;
I make these promises solemnly, freely and upon my honor.

http://www.answers.com/topic/declaration-of-geneva

Sun Simiao Oath

A Great Physician should not pay attention to status, wealth or age; neither should he question whether the particular person is attractive or unattractive, whether he is an enemy or friend, whether he is a Chinese or a foreigner, or finally, whether he is uneducated or educated. He should meet everyone on equal grounds. He should always act as if he were thinking of his close relatives.

Sun Simiao ( 581–682) was a famous traditional Chinese medicine doctor of the Sui and Tang dynasty. He was titled as China's King of Medicine for his significant contributions to Chinese medicine and tremendous care to his patients.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Simiao

The Nightingale Pledge was composed by a committee chaired by Lystra Gretter, an instructor of nursing at the old Harper Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and was first used by its graduating class in the spring of 1893:

* I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully.
* I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug.
* I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling.
* With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician, in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightingale_Pledge

Oath of Maimonides

The eternal providence has appointed me to watch over the life and health of Thy creatures. May the love for my art actuate me at all time; may neither avarice nor miserliness, nor thirst for glory or for a great reputation engage my mind; for the enemies of truth and philanthropy could easily deceive me and make me forgetful of my lofty aim of doing good to Thy children.

May I never see in the patient anything but a fellow creature in pain.

Grant me the strength, time and opportunity always to correct what I have acquired, always to extend its domain; for knowledge is immense and the spirit of man can extend indefinitely to enrich itself daily with new requirements.

Today he can discover his errors of yesterday and tomorrow he can obtain a new light on what he thinks himself sure of today. Oh, God, Thou has appointed me to watch over the life and death of Thy creatures; here am I ready for my vocation and now I turn unto my calling.

Oath of Maimonides: A prayer that is said to have been written by the 12th-century physician-philosopher Moses Maimonides. Like the famous oath of Hippocrates, the prayer of Maimonides is often recited by new medical graduates.

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/rambam-oath.html

The Seventeen Rules of Enjuin are a code of conduct developed for students of the Japanese Ri-shu school of medicine in the 16th century CE. The rules are similar to the Hippocratic Oath in that they stress that physicians should not tell people outside the school of what they have learnt. They also emphasized that physicians should love their patients and that they should work together as a brotherhood.[1]

The 17 rules are:[2]

1. Each person should follow the path designated by Heaven (Buddha, the Gods).
2. You should always be kind to people. You should always be devoted to loving people.
3. The teaching of Medicine should be restricted to selected persons.
4. You should not tell others what you are taught, regarding treatments without permission.
5. You should not establish association with doctors who do not belong to this school.
6. All the successors and descendants of the disciples of this school shall follow the teachers’ ways.
7. If any disciples cease the practice of Medicine, or, if successors are not found at the death of the disciple, all the medical books of this school should be returned to the School of Enjuin.
8. You should not kill living creatures, nor should you admire hunting or fishing.
9. In our school, teaching about poisons is prohibited, nor should you receive instructions about poisons from other physicians. Moreover, you should not give abortives to the people.
10. You should rescue even such patients as you dislike or hate. You should do virtuous acts, but in such a way that they do not become known to people. To do good deeds secretly is a mark of virtue.
11. You should not exhibit avarice and you must not strain to become famous. You should not rebuke or reprove a patient, even if he does not present you with money or goods in gratitude.
12. You should be delighted if, after treating a patient without success, the patient receives medicine from another physician, and is cured.
13. You should not speak ill of other physicians.
14. You should not tell what you have learned from the time you enter a woman’s room, and, moreover, you should not have obscene or immoral feelings when examining a woman.
15. Proper or not, you should not tell others what you have learned in lectures, or what you have learned about prescribing medicine.
16. You should not like undue extravagance. If you like such living, your avarice will increase, and you will lose the ability to be kind to others.
17. If you do not keep the rules and regulations of this school, then you will be cancelled as a disciple. In more severe cases, the punishment will be greater.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeen_Rules_of_Enjuin

EMT Oath

Be it pledged as an Emergency Medical Technician, I will honor the physical and judicial laws of God and man. I will follow that regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of patients and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, nor shall I suggest any such counsel. Into whatever homes I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of only the sick and injured, never revealing what I see or hear in the lives of men unless required by law.

I shall also share my medical knowledge with those who may benefit from what I have learned. I will serve unselfishly and continuously in order to help make a better world for all mankind.

While I continue to keep this oath unviolated, may it be granted to me to enjoy life, and the practice of the art, respected by all men, in all times. Should I trespass or violate this oath, may the reverse be my lot.
So help me God.

________________________________________

Written by: Charles B. Gillespie, M.D.
Adopted by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, 1978
http://www.naemt.org/aboutEMSAndCareers/emt_oath.htm

The Teacher’s Oath

I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:

• I will respect the hard-won gains of those educators in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

• I will apply, for the benefit of my students, all strategies known to be effective, avoiding busy-work in favor of work with real meaning to the students and their families.

• I will remember that there is art to teaching as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the textbook reading or the multiple choice test.

• I will work with my colleagues to inspire one another to achieve excellence. I will not be ashamed to say “I know not,” nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed to help my students.

• If it is given me to enhance a life through teaching, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to cast a shadow over a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty.

• I will remember that I do not teach a lesson plan, or a reading deficiency, but a human being, whose skills may affect the person’s future family and economic stability. My efforts will aim to teach the whole child, and help that child develop in mind and spirit.

• If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of teaching those who seek my help.
http://kendrik2.wordpress.com/2007/08/29/the-teachers-oath/

Oath of a Physical Therapist

In the presence of my colleagues, friends, families and teachers and in view of the honored profession I am entering into, I solemnly and willingly state that I dedicate myself to the following:

I will practice physical therapy with compassion for the vulnerabilities in each of my patients and will work to preserve their dignity and promote their health and welfare. I will value the lives of my patients as I value my own life, through my concern for their significance and with respect for them and the confidential nature of our relationship.
I will be humble.
I recognize my limitations and will continue to consult with my colleagues and co-workers for knowledge with which I can better treat my patients and for the inspiration to expand and augment my education.
I will share my knowledge with my colleagues and patients freely, with compassion and patience.
I will work toward the improvement of the quality of life for all of my patients.
I will honor the choices that my patients make with respect to their wishes and needs.
I will do no harm to another human.
I will work to improve the practice of physical therapy so that all who seek it will receive treatment which is proper, ethical and just.
I will not allow my judgment regarding the practice of my profession to be influenced by race, creed, religion, greed or unethical behavior.
I will expect the same behavior from my colleagues and co-workers.
Thus, with this oath, I freely accept the obligations and rewards which will accompany my practice of physical therapy.

http://www.usip.edu/pt/oath-of-a-physical-therapist.shtml

Veterinarian's Oath

Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering, the conservation of livestock resources, the promotion of public health and the advancement of medical knowledge.

I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics.

I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence.

http://netvet.wustl.edu/vetoath.htm