The Hippocratic Oath is a public oath that is made by people who graduate from medicine and pharmacy. It has an ethical character that guides the physician in the practice of his/her profession. The origin of this tradition can be traced back to Ancient Greece, where the famous physician Hippocrates would have redacted this oath for his disciples and students.
Since the Renaissance, a period in Europe characterized by the veneration of Greek and Roman values, the oath started to be used by many schools of physicians. It was widely spread since the 19th century in western countries and, especially after the WWII, throughout the world.
The modern medical practice is strongly influenced by this oath mainly in the ethical aspect. This tradition is taken as a rite of passage for every physician in the world, as an act of compromise to heal people and to act in the benefit of humanity.