Letters to the Editor
on these disciplines’ connections.
Downloaded from http://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine by BhDMf5ePHKav1zEoum1tQfN4a+kJLhEZgbsIHo4XMi0hCywCX1AWnYQp/IlQrHD3i3D0OdRyi7TvSFl4Cf3VC1y0abggQZXdtwnfKZBYtws= on 11/13/2021
the value and impact of PhD Human Anatomy
However, reducing the linguistic
differences between these domains
will facilitate the generation and
dissemination of evidence in
educational research and practice.
Larry D. Gruppen, PhD
Professor and chair, Department of Medical
Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
Michigan; lgruppen@umich.edu.
The Scientist’s Pledge
To the Editor: Medical students
transition to their profession with
the recitation of the Hippocratic
Oath. However, no analogous
oath has been widely adopted for
students graduating with doctorates
of philosophy (PhDs) in the various
sciences.
Oaths taken upon entering a
profession reflect a need to recognize
the power and responsibility bestowed
upon a graduate. It is then surprising
that most scientists have escaped
the privilege and duty of an oath.
Scientists face tremendous ethical
challenges, such as the development
of human embryonic stem cells or
tools of biological wars, to mention
but a handful. An oath for scientists
should include many of the same
issues of professional identity and
ethics that were addressed by
Hippocrates,1 but should also pose
additional matters pertinent to the
sciences. Sir Joseph Rotblat2 proposed
ethical codes in science, highlighting
the need for scientific oaths. Davis
et al3 offered a broad oath focusing
on pride, integrity, and pursuit of
knowledge.
We believe that a scientist’s oath
should reflect the professional
activities inherent to being a
scientist, be a pledge to responsible
conduct, and embody commitments
to help humanity and society at
large. An effective oath should be
inspiring without being confining.
Such an oath should also emphasize
Academic Medicine, Vol. 88, No. 6 / June 2013
graduates on society. With this
in mind, we have proposed and
implemented at our medical school
the following oath:
Oath of the Scientist
By accepting my Doctor of Philosophy
degree, I earnestly assert that
I will apply my scientific skills and
principles to benefit society;
I will continue to practice and support
a scientific process that is based
on logic, intellectual rigor, personal
integrity, and an uncompromising
respect for truth;
I will treat my colleagues’ work with
respect and objectivity;
I will convey these scientific principles
in my chosen profession, in
mentoring, and in public debate;
I will seek to increase public
understanding of the principles of
science and its humanitarian goals.
These things I do promise.
The Hippocratic Oath has been modified
to reflect the evolution of medicine in
society, and we expect that the above
oath will also evolve over time.1 We
believe that this oath provides a good
foundation for the current generation
of scientists and will help to inspire
graduates to reach for their highest
ideals as they continue in their careers.
Katya Ravid, DSc
Professor of medicine and biochemistry and
founding director, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary
Biomedical Research, Boston University School of
Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
Benjamin Wolozin, MD, PhD
Professor of pharmacology and neurology,
Boston University School of Medicine, Boston,
Massachusetts; bwolozin@bu.edu.
References
1 Markel H. History of medicine: On the
Hippocratic Oath. New Engl J Med. 2004;
350:2026.
2 Rotblat J. A Hippocratic Oath for scientists.
Science. 1999;286:1475.
3 Davis KD, Seeman MV, Chapman J, Rotstein
OD. A graduate student oath. Science.
2008;320:1587–1588.
To the Editor: Anatomy. It can seem
quite simple: You go to class, lab, write
exams, and then receive a final grade.
Very straightforward.
However, it is not called just anatomy;
it’s human anatomy. We cannot forget
the most important component: the
human. As humans, we walk this earth
trying to make something of ourselves
and perhaps even help others along
the way. No matter what we do, we
are human and should always maintain
our humaneness: having or showing
compassion or benevolence; being well-
meaning and kind; serving a charitable
rather than a profit-making purpose.1
The donors whose bodies are in our
medical school’s anatomy laboratories
exert their humaneness even after
death. They are our mentors and
heroes, who bestow upon us the
ability and responsibility to show the
same selflessness and humanity in
helping others.
Donors make it possible for students
to understand the human body by
means of dissection. Unfortunately,
opportunities for dissection are
dwindling for many students,
as obtaining proper donors and
anatomy teachers is quite difficult at
some medical schools.2 Being able
to physically dissect and search for
vessels, muscles, and organs allows
students to appreciate the delicate
intricacies of the human body in
addition to variation between donors.
The perfect pictures in textbooks rarely
mimic real life, which forces students
to integrate knowledge of anatomy
and physiology, carry out conceptual
placement, and think “outside of
the box” in order to properly identify
structures. These skills are a product of
the student–donor relationship.
For each of us, being able to dissect
human donors in undergraduate studies
was both a privilege and a maturation
process. We learned how to study and
truly comprehend the interworkings
743
Letters to the Editor
of the human body while building
a deep respect for and connection
with humanity. This was an invaluable
experience that every biomedical student
should have the opportunity to embrace.
The greatest gift that the donors have
given us is not anatomy expertise but,
rather, what it means to be humane—
influencing others and improving life even
after one’s time on earth. We encourage
744
medical students to enjoy dissection
courses and anatomy classes but to never
forget the human component—the
donors who lead us by example.
Sarah Wassmer
PhD candidate and anatomy sessional lecturer,
Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
and Clinical and Functional Anatomy, University of
Ottawa Faculty of Medicine and Ottawa Hospital
Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada;
swassmer@ohri.ca.
Alireza Jalali, MD
Professor of anatomy, University of Ottawa Faculty of
Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
References
1 New Oxford American Dictionary. 2nd
ed. New York, NY: Oxford University
Press; 2005.
2 Bay BH, Ling EA. Teaching of anatomy
in the new millennium. Singapore Med J.
2007;48:182–183.
Academic Medicine, Vol. 88, No. 6 / June 2013