The Finnish Medical Association unites doctors as a professional community,
and develops and supports the values common to the profession. These values
have a historical, internationally accepted base. The physician‚s basic
values are also the basic values of the Finnish Medical Association.
The World Medical Association (WMA), founded after World War II, rewrote the
Hippocratic Oath and asked all doctors to take it. As a result of the
lessons of the war, a strong injunction to respect life was added to the
oath. The rewritten oath is known as the Declaration of Geneva of 1948.
Humanity includes humaneness, human dignity and human rights. The inhumane
treatment suffered by soldiers at the Battle of Solferino in 1859 inspired
the founder of the Red Cross, Henri Dunant, to take initiatives on behalf of
humanity. These led to the Geneva Convention of 1864, which guaranteed the
right of doctors to care for all of the wounded in war impartially and
without interference. The concept of humanity has also been taken up in the
international law that defines crimes against humanity.
The Finnish Physician‚s Oath adopted by the Finnish Medical Association in
1996 begins with the words: ‰I swear, on my honour and conscience, that as a
physician I shall strive to serve my fellow man and to respect humanity."
And it closes with the words: ‰I shall not, even under threat, use my skills
against my professional ethics.‰
Since ancient times, the work of physicians has been grounded in firm moral
values governing their actions: medical ethics. Medicine is based on an
ethical attitude. Patients are aware of the doctor‚s obligation to protect
human life and relieve suffering. The physician tries to act ethically in a
broader sense than simply observing written ethical guidelines.
Medical ethics compel every doctor to maintain a high level of professional
skill and to assess the quality of his own work. University training gives
doctors good basic preparation, but the rapid advance of medicine requires
continuing professional development throughout one´s career. This requirement
also affects society and the physician‚s employer, who must guarantee the
doctor the opportunity to continuously maintain his or her professional
skill.
Medical work is collaborative by its nature. Professional development is
based on the sharing of experiences and knowledge between colleagues. The
obligation to help one‚s professional colleagues and behave collegially was
always part of the Hippocratic Oath. The Finnish Physician‚s Oath requires
doctors to respect their colleagues and give them help whenever they need it
in treating a patient. The Finnish Medical Association also has a special
code of medical collegiality.
Basic values
The Physician's Basic values
Respect for Life
Humanity
Ethics
Medical expertise
Collegiality
Förbund
The Finnish Medical Association -
Health Care and the Medical Profession in Finland
Association
