It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad. – C. S. Lewis
Milky Way-Hubble
CMDA, responding to the need for Christians to define themselves in the midst of the practice of their profession, has developed two Christian oaths. One is for physicians and the other is for dentists. Both oaths carefully express that practitioners are Christians first, then health care providers. Ask yourself if you are prepared to take such an oath.
Christian Physician's Oath Link
With gratitude to God, faith in Christ Jesus, and dependence on the Holy Spirit, I publicly profess my intent to practice medicine for the glory of God.
With humility, I will seek to increase my skills. I will respect those who teach me and who broaden my knowledge. In turn, I will freely impart my knowledge and wisdom to others.
With God's help, I will love those who come to me for healing and comfort. I will honor and care for each patient as a person made in the image of God, putting aside selfish interests, remaining pure and chaste at all times.
With God's guidance, I will endeavor to be a good steward of my skills and of society's resources. I will convey God's love in my relationships with family, friends, and community. I will aspire to reflect God's mercy in caring for the lonely, the poor, the suffering, and the dying.
With God’s direction, I will respect the sanctity of human life. I will care for all my patients, rejecting those interventions that either intentionally destroy or actively end human life, including the unborn, the weak and vulnerable, and the terminally ill.
With God's grace, I will live according to this profession.
Passed by the CMDA House of Delegates
May 3, 1991. Chicago, Illinois.
Amended by the CMDA House of Representatives
June 10, 2005ne 10, 2005
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
WP-Bible plugin. Denver, Colorado.
Explanation
In antiquity, a man who wanted to learn the art of medicine was often required to swear an oath containing important principles and precepts before beginning his study, usually as an apprentice. The Oath of Hippocrates is one such ancient vow. It may have been composed by a group of Pythagorean physicians rather than by Hippocrates of Cos. While the history of the Hippocratic Oath is still the subject of scholarly debate, it is clear that the precepts of the Oath gradually became the guiding principles of the majority of educated physicians, and this ethos was accepted as the standard for centuries, because it is consistent with monotheistic religion and the dignity of people made in the image of God.
In this century, it became increasingly common for the faculties of medical schools to administer an oath to their graduates. While several modifications and adaptations of the classical Hippocratic Oath are still in use, very few graduating physicians swear the actual words or precepts of that ancient standard. Some maintain that the Hippocratic Oath is out of date and no longer applies. Much medical practice, in fact, ignores it. A limited number of physicians maintain that the ancient precepts are still valid, although some of the specific proscriptions or prescriptions may not make sense today. Because of these differing perceptions of the importance and/or validity of the classical Hippocratic Oath, many new oaths have been written and used in modern times. A recent analysis of oath usage and content showed an increasing rate of the use of oaths throughout this century, but a steady decrease in the content items which were present in the classical Hippocratic Oath.
Some Christians are uncomfortable swearing an oath by the ancient Greek gods. Others believe the precepts of the classical Hippocratic Oath are still valid and the swearing of this traditional vow is very important, so they are willing to swear this oath because of its clear declaration of the transcendent nature of the healing relationship, understanding that the object of their vow is the one true God.
The Ethics Commission of the Christian Medical and Dental Society proposed a Christian Physician's Oath in 1990, which was subsequently adopted by the house of Delegates in 1991. The goal was to retain the valid principles and precepts of medical tradition, and to re-frame them in a Christian context. It was the hope that this oath would be adopted and sworn by practicing physicians and would also be administered by CMDS chapters at medical schools to Christian students as they graduate.
Christian Dentist's Oath Link
With gratitude to God, faith in Christ Jesus, and dependence on the Holy Spirit, I publicly profess my intent to practice dentistry according to the highest Biblical and professional standards for the glory of God.
With humility, I will seek to increase my skills, and I will respect those who teach me and who broaden my knowledge. In turn, I will freely impart my knowledge and wisdom to others.
With God's help, I will love those who come to me for healing and comfort. I will honor and care for each patient as a person made in the image of God, striving to put aside selfish interests.
With God's guidance, I will endeavor to be a good steward of my skills and of society's resources. I will convey God's love in my relationships with family, friends, and community. I will aspire to reflect God's loving kindness in caring for those in need.
With God's grace, I will live according to this profession.
Approved by the CMDA House of Delegates
May 3, 1991. Chicago, Illinois.
Revised and approved by the CMDA House of Delegates
June 11, 2003ne 11, 2003
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
WP-Bible plugin. Schroon Lake, New York.
Explanation
The modern dental profession has developed in the Hippocratic tradition. Dental professionals have a long history of interest in and concern for matters of ethics in the practice of dentistry (1), and they often look to the Hippocratic Oath as a standard for conduct. (2) The first American Dental Association Code was adopted in 1866. Major changes were made in 1922 and again in 1951 when it became the Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct . This 1951 document has undergone periodic revisions, the most recent being in 1992. (3)
The professions of medicine and dentistry have many common features in training and practice, and also share the fundamental precept of seeking the best interests of the patient. This commonality led to the inclusion of dental students and clinicians in the Christian Medical Society, and the subsequent name change to the Christian Medical and Dental Society. These shared professional features and, more importantly, the shared faith in Jesus Christ led the Ethics Commission to propose a Christian Dentist's Oath which closely parallels the Christian Physician's Oath. It was adopted by the CMDS House of Delegates in 1991.
Ring ME. A history of ethics in dentistry. New York State Dental Journal 1994; 60(1):40-46
Mitis FJ. Hippocrates in the golden age: his life, his work and his contributions to dentistry. Journal of the American College of Dentists 1991; 58(1):26-30
Principles of ethics and code of professional conduct with official advisory opinions revised to May 1992. Journal of the American Dental Association 1992; 123(9):98-110
Reprinted by permission of CMDA
