Students at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, expressed their commitment to the highest ideals of ethics and professionalism in research when they took the “Dentist-Scientist Oath” during a recent ceremony held at the school.
Dugoni School Students Commit to Ethics and Professionalism in Research
The August 20 event was the first of its kind at the Dugoni School and possibly the first research-specific oath ceremony ever held at a dental school in the world, according to faculty organizers. Students in the Doctor of Dental Surgery Class of 2026 and the International Dental Studies Class of 2025 participated in the ceremony.
Following welcoming remarks from Dugoni School Dean Dr. Nader Nadershahi, Dr. Rebecca Moazzez provided an overview of the school’s research, and Dr. David Lam provided a history of professional oaths in medicine, dentistry, and research before leading the students in the oath recitation.
“The Dentist-Scientist Oath was inspired by my mentor Dr. Karen Davis, a world-renowned neuroscientist at the University of Toronto, who developed an oath for scientists that emphasized the importance of community, professionalism, and ethical conduct in research,” said Dr. David Lam, oath creator. “We embraced Dr. Davis’ and colleagues’ original declarations of pride, integrity, and the pursuit of knowledge, and further declared the importance of inclusion in research to produce knowledge that is applicable to all people.”
The students recently completed the Pacific-Stanford PRIMED Fundamentals of Clinical Research program, held over the past year by the Dugoni School in partnership with faculty from Stanford University. The mandatory, formalized training included 20 hours of instruction in best practices for conducting high-quality clinical research. Faculty members from both the Dugoni School and Stanford were involved in developing the program. The students will be awarded a certificate of completion from Stanford at the end of August to recognize their participation in the training.
The training is being supported by a $3.8 million, five-year grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health to fund the Pacific-Stanford PRIMED Program. PRIMED’s goal is to train the next generation of clinical oral health researchers to be equipped to translate research into practice. The program also aims to grow more clinician-scientists in the workforce.
“The dentist-scientist oath ceremony was a profound reminder of the responsibility we carry as both clinicians and researchers,” said Tyler West, a member of the DDS Class of 2026. “It reinforced the importance of conducting research with integrity and a commitment to advancing patient care. Participating in the research training at our school has been incredibly rewarding, as it provides the tools and opportunities to make a meaningful impact in the field of dentistry.”
“During my time here, I’ve seen that the Dugoni School doesn’t just put humanistic ideals on a placard but strives to live up to those values in everything that they do,” added Arick Christopher, a member of the DDS Class of 2026. “I see the dentist-scientist oath ceremony as an extension of those ideals and a reminder of the importance of morality and thoughtfulness in the research process. I am thrilled to have been a part of the ceremony and ecstatic for the opportunity provided to further my research training with Stanford.”
“We are proud of our faculty and students at the Dugoni School of Dentistry for their deep commitment to both the art and science of dentistry,” said Dr. Nader A. Nadershahi, dean and vice provost of the Dugoni School. “This dentist-scientist oath celebrates their commitment to integrity and inclusion as we work together to advance our great profession.”
The Dugoni School has a history of traditions that publicly convey a commitment to ethics and professionalism in the field of dentistry. The school was the first dental school to host a White Coat Ceremony to mark students’ transition to patient care and has continued to hold the ceremony every July since the inaugural event was held in the mid-1990s.
