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Hippocratic Oath

File:Papyrus_text;_fragment_of_Hippocratic_oath._Wellcome_L0034090.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Hippocratic Oath

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Also known as Oath of Hippocrates, The Hippocratic Oath, Hp. Jusj.

physicians' oath

AI overview

The Hippocratic Oath is a formal pledge traditionally taken by doctors in which they promise to practice medicine ethically and put patient care first. It matters because it establishes fundamental principles about how physicians should conduct themselves and treat patients, helping define the professional standards and moral responsibilities of the medical profession.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Book · Open Library

Author
Raymond Tallis
First published
2004
Editions
2
Subjects
Medicine, history

via Open Library

Research

1,458 papers

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Instance of
vow
Named after
Hippocrates
Main subject
medical ethics
Image
Papyrus text; fragment of Hippocratic oath. Wellcome L0034090.jpg
Show 5 more facts
role of agent(s) of action
physician
Commons category
Hippocrates
earliest date
0400-00-00
entry in abbreviations table
Hp. Jusj.
first line
Ὄμνυμι Ἀπόλλωνα ἰητρὸν καὶ Ἀσκληπιὸν καὶ Ὑγείαν καὶ
Sources (5)

via Wikidata · CC0

~19 min read

Encyclopedic overview

The Hippocratic Oath is an oath of ethics historically taken by physicians. It is one of the most widely known of Greek medical texts. In its original form, it requires a new physician to swear, by a number of healing gods, to uphold specific ethical standards. The oath is the earliest expression of medical ethics in the Western world, establishing several principles of medical ethics which remain of paramount significance today. These include the principles of medical confidentiality and non-maleficence. As the foundational expression of certain principles that continue to guide and inform medical practice, the ancient text is of more than historic and symbolic value. It is enshrined in the legal statutes of various jurisdictions, such that violations of the oath may carry criminal or other liability beyond the oath's symbolic nature.

Text of the oath

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Hippocratic Oath” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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