HKU Faculty of Dentistry Clinical Pledging Ceremony Students pledged commitment to providing professional and ethical patient care under the testimony of parents and teachers

“Today marks a milestone in our lives. It symbolises our professionalism, the trust that defines the dentist-patient relationship, and our commitment to serve patients. No longer are we merely students, but dentists-in-training,” said Mr Euson Hui, representative of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Year 3 students, during the Clinical Pledging Ceremony 2022, HKU Faculty of Dentistry, today (8 September 2022) at the Prince Philip Dental Hospital.

70 BDS Year 3 students are committed to taking on their responsibilities of providing clinical treatments, meeting both professional and ethical standards to their patients at the event. This is the fifteenth time that such a ceremony has been held. Attendees of the event were Guest of Honour Dr Raymond Lee, JP, Chairman, The Dental Council of Hong Kong; Professor Thomas Flemmig, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, teachers, and parents of the students. In their testimony, the students took an oath that also marked an important milestone for them.

Professor Flemmig, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, in his opening remarks, emphasised that patients always come first, “Patient contact will be enormously enriching. You will be in touch with people who come from different walk of life but there is one common thing among them – they trust your professionalism. You should cherish every patient contact.”

Addressing the ceremony, Dr Raymond Lee, JP, shared that it is crucial for dentists to adhere to dental industry regulations in order to protect patients, foster ethical conduct, develop and maintain the ethical standards of the profession.

During the Vote of thanks, another student representative Miss Fok Wan Ying extended gratitude to their tutors’ guidance. In addition to allowing students to acquire knowledge and experience, it is more important to nurture students’ empathy and sense of responsibility: “We learn the right attitude and values as a dentist. Apart from providing professional dental treatment to patients, we must ‘stay gold’ in the days to come, fulfil today’s vows, and strive to care for and serve all walks of life in the society.”

The students are also grateful to their parents who have been supporting them unconditionally and constantly, especially under COVID-19 pandemic.

Before the end of the ceremony, students received silver badges engraved with their names after taking the oath. The badge is not just a symbol of the embarkment of their clinical training, but also their aspiration, passion and commitment as dentists-to-be.

Oath of Clinical Pledging Ceremony

“I do hereby pledge:

To observe faithfully the rules and regulations regarding personal conduct and patient care set forth by the University of Hong Kong, the Faculty of Dentistry and the Prince Philip Dental Hospital;

To accept my professional responsibility to treat, to the best of my ability, all who entrust themselves to me for care with confidentiality and compassion;

To conduct myself at all times in a manner which will merit the respect of patients, Faculty and Hospital staff, fellow students and the community;

To uphold the honour and integrity of the dental profession and to strive to contribute to its progress and to the betterment of the community;

To continue to strive to advance my knowledge and skills throughout the remainder of my education and professional career.”