Academia has recently become a breeding ground for activist types and woke ideology. Here at the U of M, it has been no different. Class of 2025 and 2026 University of Minnesota medical students have taken an oath dedicating their future to their practices. However, woven carefully into this verbal commitment are highly politicized statements including, but not limited to, acknowledging that they are on indigenous land, a commitment to fight against white-supremacy, and to promote a culture of anti-racism.

This oath was brought to my attention by one of my colleague at the Minnesota Republic, and I was quick to read it for myself on the University of Minnesota medical website. After just a few days of pondering whether or not to write about it, I went to return to the website, only to be greeted with “You are not authorized to access this page.”

Fortunately, with the power of WayBackMachine, this is the official oath for the medical students in 2025:

I was not able to access the oath on the main website as I was just days before. University officials have taken quick action to cover up what the public has the right to see. After seeing this, it was clear that something must be said. Additionally, when searching for the University oath, the first source that comes up from the U of M is the oath from 2021. This oath had not been infected by social justice warriors, as the cryptic Class of 2025 and 2026 oaths are.

Here is the oath from the Class of 2021:

“With gratitude for the privilege of becoming a physician, I pledge this oath to myself, my patients, my colleagues, and my community:

I pledge to care for my patients with all that I have to offer, knowing that when I take care of myself, I have the most to give. I will use my knowledge and compassion to empower patients to be champions of their health and well-being. I will care for patients with cultural competency and respect. Recognizing the power and responsibility of being a physician, I will meet vulnerability with humility. I pledge to see the person behind the disease. 

I pledge to exemplify the integrity and the virtues that sustain the practice of medicine. I aspire to excellence while being mindful of my limitations and open to the voices of others. I will nourish my practice with a commitment to lifelong learning. I pledge to honor the passions and obligations that define me as a person, both in medicine and life. 

I pledge to learn diligently from my patients, colleagues, and communities, to advance the art and science of healing. I will strive for excellence through innovation in evidence-based medicine, respecting its utility and acknowledging its limitations. I pledge to bridge scientific advancement and social equity. I will challenge the barriers that keep my patients from care, and I will raise my voice to call out injustice and celebrate progress.

With this oath, I pledge to honor the traditions of those who came before me, and the hopes of those I serve. May I long experience joy in the healing of those who seek my help.”

That was for the class of 2021. After considering the verbiage used, it is incredible to see the difference for the class of 2025 oath(pictured above) and 2026 oath from the one written in 2017. Transcribed from a YouTube video by FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Education), here is the oath for the Class of 2026:

“We, the students of the University of Minnesota Medical School, a state-funded institution located on Anishinaabe (Ah-nish-ah-nah-bay) and Dakota land, recognize the privilege that this white coat represents and hereby swear to uphold the following oath as a community of physicians:

We commit to uprooting the legacy and perpetuation of structural violence deeply embedded within the healthcare system. We recognize inequities built by past and present traumas rooted in white supremacy, colonialism, the gender binary, ableism, and all forms of oppression. As we enter this profession with opportunity for growth, we commit to promoting a culture of anti-racism, listening, and amplifying voices for positive change. We pledge to honor all Indigenous ways of healing that have been historically marginalized by Western medicine. Knowing that health is intimately connected to our environment, we commit to healing our planet and communities.

We vow to embrace our role as community members and strive to embody cultural humility. We promise to continue restoring trust in the medical system and fulfilling our responsibilities as educators and advocates. We commit to collaborating with social, political, and additional systems to advance health equity. We will learn from the scientific innovations made before us and pledge to advance and share this knowledge with peers and neighbors. We recognize the importance of being in community with and advocating for those we serve.”

There is a clear difference between these two oaths, even to an untrained observer. With any amount of sense, one can see how the statements made in this oath are politicized beyond belief. A medical student should have the best interest of the patient in mind, and they should be open to growth. However, what exactly does a medical student have to do with promoting an anti-racist culture? What can they do as it relates to white-supremacy, colonialism and ALL forms of oppression? Are these truly a top priority, or should this priority go to the medical field? 

Many would think that doctors and doctors to be would be in favor of keeping medicine and science above politics, but this does not seem to be the case here. Nothing covered in this oath pertains to medical solutions, or scientific discovery and ingenuity, but rather pertains only to social justice. There have been many other articles covering this abomination of a verbal commitment, some of which are linked at the end of this one. An article by OutKick puts it perfectly:

“In what is supposed to be a factual, scientific, evidence-based profession with a long-standing code of ethics, wokeness is winning.”

It is hard to believe that these ideologies have seeped into nearly every crack of existence, and especially into the medical field. Additionally, it is unnerving to see my university concealing their own resources from the public. Seeing that the first University-run website to pop up when searching for the medical oath is from 2021 is a cowed play, yet somewhat expected. It fits a pattern of most leftist ideology, where they are afraid to speak to the public because they can’t help but say something that will certainly discredit themselves. Hopefully there will be some in the medical crowd to stand up for what is right, both for science, and for morality. Humanity quite literally rests on it. 

Here are some additional articles covering the 2026 Medical Oath:

Why Evolution is True

theFIRE

OutKick

Here is the link to the University of Minnesota Medical website, that now has an authorization block to read the oath at the very bottom of the page:

https://med.umn.edu/medical-school-class-2026