Guiding Principles

• We place the best interests of our patients above all others and avoid conflicts of interest and financial entanglements. The health of our patients is our first concern. (Oath of Geneva)

• We affirm the World Health Organization’s definition of health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

• We believe health is determined by a wide variety of influences beyond biology, including familial, social, psychological, environmental, economic, political, legal, cultural and spiritual factors. Understanding and addressing these complex connections is a duty of our profession.

• We recognize that health and disease are not limited by national borders. We must advocate for national and international policies that support health promotion and disease prevention.

• We advocate for a clean environment, a fundamental requirement for a healthy society.

• We believe that the health care workforce must reflect the diversity of the population.

• We believe every health professional must value and respect cultural diversity in order to provide sensitive and effective care to all patients.

• We seek collaborative and creative solutions with other health professionals and our local communities to protect and improve public health.

• We believe that individual health is tied to the health of communities. Physicians have an important role in ensuring a strong and viable public health system.

• We support an approach to knowledge acquisition grounded in empirical research, evidence-based conclusions, professional peer review, and transparency of process.

• We acknowledge and respect the long history of medical practice and tradition in all cultures and encourage research into these practices.