Class of 2015 Code of Conduct URSM&D

We, the URSM&D Class of 2015, gratefully embrace our diversity of backgrounds, personalities and ambitions. We gather united for the purpose of serving humanity, arriving at this moment not simply through our own work, but indebted to innumerable others.


Excellence in this endeavor requires our adherence to certain principles. As students and physicians, we recognize our role as ambassadors for our institution and the field of medicine. We accept responsibility to adhere to a moral and ethical code in our words and actions. We believe that this life of service must be rooted first in compassion and empathy: for our patients, for our peers, and for our community. In the framework of the biopsychosocial model, we acknowledge that our patients, and all people, are more than their ailments.


We share a belief that challenges are better faced together than alone. We trust that our curiosity, patience, and humor willhelp us in our journey. Maintaining balance and strength in our personal lives and relationships is crucial to the optimal care of our patients. As we are at our best, so we give our best.


The value of our beliefs lies in our commitment to live them out through our actions. Recalling the privileged contract we have made with society, we dedicate ourselves as physicians to be advocates for our patients and agents of social justice. We will maximize our potential through continued introspection, embracing our limitations as opportunities for growth. As we mature in our understanding of medicine, we will strive to be innovative leaders and teachers of the next generation.


In the spirit of Meliora, we will remember this pledge in the hope that we may find renewed energy and commitment to our beliefs and purpose.




We pledged the above in unison after we received our white coats yesterday. It was written by sending one representative from each small group to a threshing session where the details were worked out. While not every word was unanimously agreed on, this pledge captures the spirit of our class and what we hope to achieve.