AFFIRMATION CEREMONY

This week is my consolidation week, which means I don’t have any classes or lectures, instead I should be working to catch up on and consolidate everything that’s been covered so far. I do however, have a couple of extra activities planned for the week with one of them being today’s ‘Affirmation Ceremony’.

This is a formal event which is compulsary for all year 1 medical students to attend to affirm our commitment to Medicine. Upon graduating we will each have to take a similar oath.

Below is the affirmation from today’s ceremony:

“I affirm that I will:
• Strive to equip myself with the academic knowledge, skills and attributes to be an excellent doctor;
• Treat every patient politely and considerately;
• Respect patients’ dignity and privacy;
• Listen to patients and respect their views;
• Treat all colleagues as I would wish to be treated;
• Accept that trained professionals will place the needs of patients before mine;
• Be honest and trustworthy;
• Recognise the limits of both my own education and training at every stage and proactively seek the means to address this,
• Respect and protect all confidential information;
• Make sure my personal beliefs do not prejudice my interactions with patients and others;
• Avoid abuse of my position as a student of medicine;
• Work with colleagues in the ways that best serve patients’ interests;

In all these matters I will never discriminate unfairly against patients or colleagues. I will always be prepared to justify my actions to them”