Honor Council

We, the Class of 2027, dedicate ourselves to our patients, peers, and profession through embodying the values of integrity, respect, and lifelong learning. 

Acknowledging the privilege we hold as future physicians, we will stand accountable to our patients. We will do so by remaining constant in our values and flexible in our practices. We commit to generosity and mutual support to our peers and colleagues throughout our medical journeys. Collaboration will enable us to push the boundaries of our clinical knowledge, and create an environment in which everyone can thrive and succeed.

We will approach our patients with authenticity while honoring their dignity and differences. Through holistic evaluation, we will treat patients in the context of their life experiences, cultural backgrounds, and individual identities. We humbly accept the duty to serve them as stewards of their personalized care.

In this ever-changing field, we commit to growth in perpetuity, striving to become better physicians and advocates for progress. We will remain curious, continuing to educate ourselves and others. When we encounter obstacles on this path, we will treat ourselves and those around us with grace.

We vow to uphold this honor statement by remaining steadfast in our pursuit of excellence through empathetic service to others. Regardless of the day, year, or decade, we will persist in our dedication to providing care of the highest caliber within and beyond our communities.

We, the Class of 2026, hereby pledge to embody the tenets of curiosity, commitment, and leadership. As we enter the medical field, we will strive to conduct ourselves with honor, humility, enthusiasm, and kindness. We welcome the varied experiences and backgrounds of our class as we enter this shared time of monumental change and growth.

We will treat our peers, colleagues, and patients with empathy and compassion. Our interactions will be grounded in humility, cognizant of the inherent privilege of our role as physicians. In our pursuit of celebrating the dignity and diversity of our community, we will recognize our shared humanity as we learn from our patients’ lived experiences, respect their goals and priorities, and enhance our understanding of patient-centered care. 

We will promote the equitable delivery of healthcare by fiercely advocating for underserved and marginalized communities. We will stand together against injustices, working to create an inclusive, accessible, and culturally competent healthcare system. We commit to amplifying the voices of those we serve, embracing their diverse experiences as invaluable strengths and promoting equity and justice in medicine. 

We will engage in lifelong learning by dedicating ourselves to the passionate pursuit of our profession. As we celebrate our triumphs as well as our challenges, we will employ a growth mindset to give and receive productive feedback. We will practice accountability to ourselves, each other, our patients, and our communities with the courage to admit our mistakes and learn from them. We will support each other in developing adaptability and resilience in our educational journey and career as physicians. We will embrace innovation in the medical field, evolving our practice and outlook as our communities change and grow.

We vow to uphold this honor code with integrity and the courage to cultivate open-mindedness, humility, and respect for human dignity.

We, the University of Colorado School of Medicine Class of 2025, hold ourselves accountable and answerable to our patients, our colleagues, and the evolving standards of the profession into which we are about to enter. 
 
We will foster a nurturing and caring environment that will laud our merits and support us through challenge. In the pursuit of personal and academic growth, we shall remember to protect our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
 
We will act with integrity, empathy, and humility, recognizing the responsibility and privilege that comes with our chosen profession. We will respect, value, and honor the diverse experiences of our patients and our community, with a deliberate intent to welcome, listen, and integrate insights from all perspectives.
 
We will pursue justice, equity, and equality, emboldening and encouraging others to do the same. We will empower our patients to understand and take an active role in their health and wellness. We will recognize and challenge the obstacles that perpetuate marginalization and disparity. 

We, the class of 2024, are entering medical school at a pivotal moment in history. Faced with the turmoil of the COVID‐19 pandemic, compounded by the ongoing public health crisis of racism, and recurring police brutality that has spurred international protests following the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Elijah McClain, we commit ourselves to this oath:

To Ourselves: We commit to practicing humility, dedicating ourselves to continuous learning, and maintaining a strong awareness of our privilege as physicians. We commit to caring for ourselves by asking for help when we need it and by giving ourselves space to process our emotions.

To Each Other: We commit to strengthening community within our class. We will celebrate each other’s differences and diversity, and show each other patience, compassion, and understanding. We will encourage each other in our endeavors outside of medicine. We seek to be a friend, a touchstone, and a resource to every classmate, and to ensure that every voice from the class of 2024 is heard.

To Our Community: We commit to being stewards for the equitable treatment of our patients, coming forth as leaders in advocating for the underprivileged, and actively serving in our communities. We commit to honoring and respecting the unique experiences, needs, and autonomy of others, and to providing sustainable evidence‐based care. We will pursue a more complete understanding of the historical injustices in medicine. We seek to rectify disparities in healthcare for the betterment of all we serve.

We, the Class of 2024, commit to becoming the physicians we all wish to see.

We the class of 2023 pledge to uphold the oath and contract that we here take:

First, we will do no harm. 

That which is told to us in confidence will not be spread to others or taken lightly. 

We will bear witness to trauma in the lives of others, and in doing so, may we never see in the patient anything other than a fellow human being. 

We will meet each patient with compassion, aware that dignity and a kind heart can serve a higher purpose than medical intervention alone. 

We will recognize the power afforded by our profession, and the unique privilege to be an advocate for those in our care as well as our community. 

We will advance equity and equality, empowering the voices of individuals and communities that have not been heard. 

We will honor the diverse experiences of our patients and colleagues, learning from their unique perspectives. 

When conflict arises, we will use this opportunity to learn how someone else intends to do good. 

We will be united by our commitment to improving the human condition. 

We will learn equanimity and humility, recognizing that panic and arrogance can be as harmful as disease or injury. 

We will honor our future patients in our current preparation. 

We will encourage and support one another in the pursuit of the highest standards of excellence, both as individuals and as a class, in the knowledge that through our greatest challenges we may discover our greatest strengths. 

In holding ourselves to this standard, we recognize that the person to our right may one day care for our child. The person to our left may one day care for our parent. 

We begin this journey at different stages in our lives. We will end this journey having come to a place of shared knowledge, values, and experiences. These will be taken from classes and lectures, but also from those standing with us today. 

We, the class of 2022, are united by our passion to respect and serve the human condition. We recognize that medicine is driven by science yet balanced by the art of healing and compassion. 

Remembering where we come from, who we are, and where we are going, we will advocate for equity in the lives of our patients and peers. We celebrate the richness of our diverse community. We will continue to serve and understand cultures outside of our own. 

We seek to pursue truth, justice, and goodness throughout our medical education. United by our commitment to preserve human rights, we will use our minds, our hearts, and our hands to heal.

It is vital to our practice that we acknowledge and respect the various roles involved throughout the healing process. 

We vow to care for ourselves, recognizing our strengths and limitations. We will continue to pursue excellence, broaden our skillsets, and make time for those we love.

We will care for one another and leave no peer behind. We will stand by each other along this journey, through encouragement, love, and trust. Together, we will humbly abide by the university honor code and keep each other accountable. Together, we will collaborate, innovate, and grow. Together, we will serve humanity.

​As the class of 2021, we hereby pledge to uphold a nurturing and inclusive environment branching to the individual, the class, and the community. We promise to hold ourselves and our peers accountable, to set the bar high, and to uphold that standard.

We will conduct ourselves with humility, compassion, generosity, and care for our peers, our patients, and ourselves. We promise to approach our patients as equals and with a spirit of service, compassion, and respect. We undertake the responsibility of providing equitable quality of care for our patients and communities, and advocate for our patients’ rights.

We vow to face the challenges ahead with resilience, innovation, and a commitment to life-long learning. We understand that our responsibilities extend beyond being physicians. In embracing this path, we become leaders, mentors, role-models, and servants of our communities. We recognize the distinct privilege with which we have been entrusted and pledge to be honorable stewards of our vocation. We will honor our school by being diligent and conscientious students and upholding this pledge to the best of our ability.

We, the Class of 2020, pledge to uphold the following principles:

As INDIVIDUALS, we pledge to conduct ourselves with honesty, humility, and conscientiousness. In seeking constant growth as physicians and human beings, we will strive to maintain our own physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

As PEERS, we pledge to foster a community that is collaborative, accountable, supportive, and innovative. We promise to learn from our differences and unique perspectives, to seek and offer refuge to one another during hardship, and to rejoice together in times of triumph.

As STUDENTS, we pledge to honor the University's commitment to us through active engagement in the classroom, the laboratory, and clinical settings. We will continually look for opportunities to improve our program for future students and strive to proudly represent this institution.

As PHYSICIANS, we pledge to deliver evidence-based care with compassion and purpose.  We will embrace our role as patient advocates and commit to preserving their trust, dignity, and agency. We will devote ourselves to building our cultural proficiency and to learning more about our patients’ challenges and backgrounds.

As LEADERS, we pledge to improve our communities by investigating and addressing their specific needs. Through service, advocacy, and education, we will raise awareness of institutional biases, alleviate health disparities, and practice socially just medicine.

As STEWARDS OF OUR PROFESSION, we pledge to act ethically and to lead by example. We will work diligently to advance the field of medicine by upholding a standard of excellence, whether in scientific research or clinical practice, and by guiding the next generation of physicians.

We accept this code freely and upon our honor. May it serve not merely as a symbol of our aspirations as students but as a constant reminder of our commitment to medicine throughout our careers.

We, the members of the University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Class of 2019, do hereby charge ourselves with the following:

We will strive to maintain our personal health and wellness, act with humility, learn from our failures, and approach each new day with curiosity and enthusiasm.

We commit to being present and teachable, while communicating in an open and honest manner, fostering an inclusive learning environment, nurturing collaborative relationships, and cultivating resiliency within our cohort.

We will honor our teachers by engaging in lifelong learning and offering feedback to improve the training of future students.

We will stay awake to suffering, approach patients as equals, respect individual choice, advance culturally-sensitive care, and seek to understand and serve patients in a holistic way.

We vow to regularly reflect on our privileged position as physicians and develop the courage that compels us to do that which is right, rather than that which is easy.

We pledge to uphold these ideals, advocate for human well-being and social justice, engage in scholarship that enriches the field of medicine, and serve with our communities throughout our lives.

We, The Class of 2018, pledge to uphold the following principles:

To ourselves, we commit to honor our personal values, to continuously grow and adapt as both physicians and human beings, and to attend to our physical, emotional, and personal well-being, in order to be the best stewards to our patients.

To our classmates and school, we commit to celebrate and support one another, to challenge and to inspire, to be allies while holding each other accountable, and to embrace one another, not only as peers but also as family.

To our patients, we commit to cultivate an atmosphere of cultural sensitivity, compassion and mutual respect, in order to educate, treat, and advocate for their well-being.

To the noble profession of medicine, we commit to champion the tradition of learning from those who have come before us, setting an example for those who will follow, and advancing the field of medicine through research and application.

With these words, we enter the community of medicine with the promise to sustain our own well-being, to unconditionally support one another, to further a world of medicine without boundaries, and to never lose sight of placing the patient first.