Nearly all doctors recite the original Hippocratic Oath or an alternative version of it in medical school. Yet it remains controversial, prompting questions about whether it should be retired.

It is a sacred promise taken by all physicians to uphold ethical standards while delivering empathetic care to the patient. It is the earliest expression of medical ethics in the western world. This ...

The Hippocratic Oath. Sculpture by Wilfried Fitzenreiter. Credit: SeptemberWoman / Wikimedia Commons That is to say, it is almost certain that the author of the oath was not Hippocrates himself, and ...

The Hippocratic Oath is a long-standing tradition. But as the practice of medicine has evolved over the two millennia since the oath was created, the ancient text feels less and less applicable to ...

Every spring for almost 20 years, I have happily donned a rented robe, hood, and mortarboard to attend medical school commencement exercises. The purpose of this annual foray into pomp and ...