New medical oath written by student used for the first time
Medical students recited a new University of Southampton Declaration at this year’s graduation ceremonies that had been written by one of the graduating class.
Many UK medical schools have introduced the reciting of a Declaration at graduation during recent years.
In response to a request from Southampton students, a new Declaration was introduced last year, which was based on a GMC’s the ‘Duties of a Doctor’.
This year’s Declaration was written by graduating final year medical student Yiwen Soo after the Faculty of Medicine launched a competition for students to submit their vision of what the Declaration should say.
A panel of medical students and Professor Karen Morrison, Associate Dean for Education in the Faculty of Medicine, unanimously agreed that Yiwen’s version, with a few changes suggested by the group, was the one to use.
Yiwen said: “The tradition of newly qualified doctors taking an oath to uphold an ethical and professional code is not new, but it was certainly a challenge to create a version that did not simply reflect my own views, but that of our medical school and the wider student population.
“As a doctor, we not only represent ourselves but an entire profession. The use of “I” in the declaration holds each individual accountable, demonstrating a continued commitment to behaving professionally and ethically in all we do. The declaration also emphasises cooperation and collaboration, as being a healthcare professional is all about working as part of a team to improve our patients’ health and wellbeing.
“It is an honour to be offered the opportunity to contribute to a small part of our medical school’s legacy and have it read out by this year’s class. I am incredibly grateful for the ideas and contributions of all the staff and students who helped transform a working draft to a polished piece of work.”
Medical achievements also took centre stage at this year’s graduation ceremonies with individual students being recognised with special awards.
This year the Donald Acheson Prize for the highest ranked performance in undergraduate medicine will be awarded jointly to William Haskins and Jack Stevens. The Faculty of Medicine Dean’s Prizes, recognising excellence in overall contribution to the Bachelor of Medicine Programmes and the Faculty, will be awarded to Fiona Vincent and Jahangir Alom.
MSc students Jennie Rowley and Meera Parmar were also recognised for their hard work and dedication during their respective postgraduate taught courses.
Professor Morrison said: “It was a pleasure and a honour to be at this year’s graduation ceremonies and be able to reward the students for their success over four, five or six years study. I am particularly pleased Yiwen’s Declaration was used in this year’s ceremonies, which reflects the professional responsibilities that come with the privilege of being awarded a medical degree.”
