The biomedical engineer's pledge: overview and context
Although biomedical engineering (BME) is a profession with ethical responsibilities comparable to those in medicine, it has, until now, lacked a counterpart to the Hippocratic Oath. While professional societies have established codes of ethics for biomedical engineers, these documents lack the symbo...
| Autores: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2026 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya) |
| Repositorio: | Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:dnet:recercat____::cfe720a7ead8582da706bdac5fa67b3c |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10230/73131 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11517-025-03443-6 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Biomedical engineering Ethics Pledge Hippocratic Oath |
| Sumario: | Although biomedical engineering (BME) is a profession with ethical responsibilities comparable to those in medicine, it has, until now, lacked a counterpart to the Hippocratic Oath. While professional societies have established codes of ethics for biomedical engineers, these documents lack the symbolic and ceremonial significance of an oath or pledge. By contrast, the recitation of the Hippocratic Oath, or its modern version, the 'Physician's Pledge', serves as a powerful rite of passage for medical students, fostering a strong sense of ethical duty at the start of their professional journey. However, the content of the Hippocratic Oath includes elements specific to clinical practice and is not directly applicable to biomedical engineering. To fill this gap, we have created a 'Biomedical Engineer's Pledge', comprising a preamble, ten promises, and a concluding statement, to inspire ethical awareness and establish a meaningful graduation tradition. |
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