In the Netherlands, as in many other countries, taking a vow is the usual way to declare dedication to the values of the medical profession. 1, 2 The medical oath does not have any legal value. Whether or not one can practise medicine depends on registration with the BIG act, the Individual Healthcare Professions Act. Besides BIG, the rights and obligations of a medical doctor have been laid down in several laws. However, the medical oath is still important. It marks the moment of joining the group of medical professionals and it is a moment of reflection on the values of the medical profession. The oath used until September 2003 was based on the law of practising the art of medicine from 1865, which is no longer in force, and the Hippocratic oath from 400 years BC. The position of doctors within society changed so much in the second half of the last century that it was time for a new version of the oath. 3 The oath has been modernised by a committee made up of doctors, a medical student, a lawyer, a historian and an ethicist. Since September 2003 all medical faculties in the Netherlands have been using the new medical oath. 4 In the next paragraphs the history of the oath and the development of the new oath will be briefly discussed. Furthermore the new oath will be compared with the latest requirements for medical specialisms.