The following Oath of Service, written by Edie Elkan on Sunday January 29, 2006, was inspired by and borrows heavily from the Modern Hippocratic Oath, written in 1964 by Louis Lasagna, Academic Dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University, and used in many medical schools today. Tribute is also paid to an essay by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD "Helping, Fixing or Serving?" from her book, Kitchen Table Wisdom, published by Riverhead Books in 1996.

our oath of service

I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:

I will use my harp to the best of my ability to serve those who call me to their side.

I will treat all whom I serve with honor, warmth, understanding, compassion and love. I and each person I serve are equals -- we are, each of us, connected to the other. All suffering is like my suffering; all joy is like my joy.

I commit myself to a lifetime of learning and professional and personal growth. My training and experience will be used to benefit all whom I serve.

I will not be ashamed to say "I do not know", nor will I fail to ask for help and seek advice when needed.

I will respect the privacy to those whom I serve; their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to serve through a birth or through a death, all thanks. I will face such awesome responsibility with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty.

I will remember that service is the work of the soul, resting on the premise that life is a holy mystery whose purpose is unknown.

I will respect the hard-won gains of those who have brought music and other arts to healthcare, those who have gone before me and in whose steps I walk. I will gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligation to all my fellow human beings, those of sound mind and body as well as the infirm.

May I enjoy life, music, art, poetry, love of family and friends, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of serving those who wish me to be by their side.