ABSTRACT
Hippocratic Oath Hippocrates, long noted to be the “father” of western medicine, was revered for his commitment to professionalism and discipline.1 The Hippocratic Oath is perhaps one of the most influential documents in the history of medical ethics. The oath is the foundation on which the pillars of medical ethics stand. The oath:
“I swear by Apollo the physician, and Asclepius, and Hygieia and Panacea and all the gods and goddesses as my witnesses, that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath and this contract:
To hold him who taught me this art equally dear to me as my parents, to be a partner in life with him, and to fulfill his needs when required; to look upon his offspring as equals to my own siblings, and to teach them this art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or contract; and that by the set rules, lectures, and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to students bound by this contract and having sworn this Oath to the law of medicine, but to no others.
