We, the class of 2026, begin our medical journey in a time of increasing polarization and

misinformation that is compromising trust and increasing discrimination in the field. The
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and emerging infectious diseases are disproportionately affecting
already marginalized populations. Legislative decisions are threatening patient autonomy and
fundamental rights. The country is suffering from governmental intrusion into the sacred
physician-patient relationship, inaction regarding gun violence, and uncertainty in access to
reproductive and gender-affirming care.

As we begin our careers as representatives of both the University of Pittsburgh School of

Medicine and the field of medicine, we have the responsibility to not only uphold the standards
of our predecessors but, also, to shoulder the burden of addressing racism, sexism, xenophobia,
and other forms of discrimination that underlie all systems and influence clinical decision-
making. It is our duty to practice medicine congruent with science and prioritize the needs of the
patient irrespective of politics and personal or societal biases.

Recognizing the sanctity of the physician-patient relationship and the privilege of our roles as
future healer, we pledge:

• I will respect the autonomy, rights, and dignity of all patients.

• I will prioritize the patient narrative by addressing my assumptions, communicating
clearly, and practicing cultural humility at the bedside.
• I will recognize that healing goes beyond diagnosis and treatment and demands a
commitment to empathy, compassion, and holistic care of each patient.
• I will acknowledge and combat my own internal biases, always aiming to provide
individualized, culturally sensitive, and equitable care to all.
• I will ally myself with vulnerable communities to amplify their voices, as I work to
dismantle systems of silence and oppression.
• I will work to eliminate systemic inequities that lead to poor or disparate health outcomes
for marginalized patients, always remembering the systems in which I operate were
established through the oppression and suffering of minority populations.
• I will practice evidence-based medicine, contribute to novel innovations that improve
care for my patients and disseminate this knowledge to the next generation of diverse
medical professionals.
• I will use my position as a liaison between the dynamic body of medical knowledge and
patients to promote health literacy, combat misinformation, and establish a clinical
environment grounded in trust and science.
• I will value the expertise of my interdisciplinary colleagues, because high quality patient
care results from a cohesive team.
• I will know my own limits and prioritize my mental, physical, and emotional health
recognizing that I cannot care for others if I do not care for myself.

Knowing there will be times I fall short of the promises in this oath, I will hold myself
accountable while striving to honor the privilege bestowed upon me as a physician, leader, and
lifelong student of medicine.