ABSTRACT
As with other professions, in recent years veterinary medicine has become much more concerned about issues of values, attitudes, and ethical standards within the profession. High standards and adherence to a moral code have historically been basic tenets of the veterinary profession. This cultural tradition has been passed from one generation to the next through transmission of the knowledge, skills, and the social and moral norms of the profession. It frequently has focused on the Veterinarian’s Oath (Veterinary Code, 1986). But increased social demands for moral accountability in public life following highly publicized abuses of power and authority, such as Watergate, the Iran-Contra affair, the Savings and Loan scandal and others, have required all professions, including veterinary medicine, to become more concerned about their attention to professionalism and the role of values, attitudes, and standards.
