Commentary

University of Cincinnati Med School Asks Students to Swear an Oath to DEI

  • By Do No Harm Staff
  • August 12, 2025
  • University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

As the ethical backbone of the medical profession, the Hippocratic Oath has bound physicians to a commitment to avoid harming patients, to help the sick, and to various other ethical principles.

But the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine would also like its aspiring medical professionals to take a new oath: one that requires students to commit to combating “disparities,” acknowledging “historical injustices,” and cultivating “inclusion.” 

According to the medical school’s website, students recited this oath, the “Oath of Professionalism” for the graduating Class of 2025, at the school’s Honor’s Day ceremony in May – alongside a variation of the Hippocratic Oath.

The very first line of the Oath of Professionalism affirms the students’ vow to “promote equity, foster trust, and drive innovation in service to others.”

Next, the oath contains a vow to “combat healthcare disparities by confronting our biases, amplifying marginalized voices, and valuing diverse perspectives.”

The oath goes on to ask students to “acknowledge the historical injustices of [the medical] profession while providing care with transparency and cultural humility.”

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Figure 1. A screenshot of the Oath of Professionalism.

Taken together, these commitments subordinate the practice of medicine to the pursuit of, and the adherence to, social justice ideology. 

However, the fact that the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine seems to view the profession of medicine as instrumental to achieving DEI goals is not surprising.

In June 2022, Do No Harm filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights regarding the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine’s “Underrepresented in Medicine Visiting Clerkship Program,” which conditioned awards on applicants’ racial and ethnic background.

Moreover, the university’s president Neville Pinto expressed subtle dismay at President Trump’s attempts to crack down on DEI in higher education earlier this year.

The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine should dispense with oaths to DEI and instead commit wholeheartedly to the ethical practice of medicine.