Upon graduation as a veterinarian, an oath may be sworn to demonstrate the graduate's dedication and commitment to their new profession. This has similarities to human doctors' Hippocratic Oath. The oath itself differs around the world.
Americas
United States of America The Veterinarian's Oath was adopted by the American Veterinary Medical Association's House of Delegates July 1969, and amended by the AVMA Executive Board, November 1999 and December 2010.
This oath is also used in Afghanistan.
Canada The Veterinarian Oath taken by Canadian veterinarians was established by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association in 2004 and updated in 2018. It has some minor deviations from that of the American Veterinary Medical Association. It reads as follows:
Veterinarians from The University of the West Indies also swear an oath upon graduation.
Oceania
Australia Graduates of the University of Queensland and James Cook University take the following oath, as well as those in New South Wales:
Philippines
Instead of swearing a particular oath, New Zealand veterinarians follow a 7-point Code of Professional Conduct.
Europe
United Kingdom British veterinarians must declare their oath in order to have the right to practice veterinary medicine in the UK:
Ireland
Hungary
Dutch veterinarians swear an oath, which is currently under review.
Asia
India
Indonesia
Korea
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Singaporean veterinarians follow a Code of Ethics, instead of swearing a specific oath.
Middle East
Iran
Africa
Kenya
Global scope Members of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association swear an oath "which supports our national declarations and reflects the mission of our global veterinary community":
Veterinary technicians Paraveterinary workers in the US may swear an oath:
See also Veterinary ethics Hippocratic Oath
References
External links http://www.avma.org American Veterinary Medical Association http://www.rcvs.org.uk Royal College Veterinary Surgeons http://www.canadianveterinarians.net Canadian Veterinary Medical Association