The “Augusta Oath” ceremony: redefining the relationship between patients and healthcare providers
Amidst multiple challenges in the modern medical world – global pandemics, evolving standards of informed consent and rising scepticism towards medical institutions – how can we rethink the relationship between healthcare professionals and patients?
In attempt to answer this, the Sorbonne University Alliance will be hosting an inaugural ceremony for the “Augusta Oath” on 10 September at 6 pm at the Chapelle Saint-Louis de la Salpêtrière in Paris. Healthcare professionals are invited to commit to this new oath, which pledges to collectively shape the future of the healthcare sector.
An event supported by Doctogouine, a feminist and lesbian midwife, and inspired by the podcast "Le Serment d’Augusta"
Co-written by the journalist, Olympe de Gê, and professor of neurology at Sorbonne University, Emmanuel Flamand-Roze, the podcast “Le Serment d’Augusta” was created in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the #MeToo movement. It pays tribute to Augusta Klumpke, a pioneer in neurology and the first woman to successfully complete the competitive entrance examination for the Paris Hospitals’ internship programme. The podcast aims to reinvent patient-provider relationships in healthcare, by placing patients at the heart of the medical system and questioning the role of health in our society. The episodes explore the interplay between biological, environmental and psychosocial determinants in health in an attempt to improve the quality and equity of care. Particular attention is given to the consequences of biased perceptions and stigmatisation within the healthcare sector, as well as the discrimination faced by vulnerable groups in their access to care. Each article in the Augusta Oath corresponds to an episode of the podcast.
A rich programme of events leading up to the ceremony
Featuring local organisations, awareness workshops, exhibitions, games and other artistic activities, people from all walks of life are invited to learn about their health and share their experiences as patients or healthcare providers, leading up to the oath ceremony.
Through this collective oath, doctors, carers and healthcare professionals pledge to shape the future of healthcare relationships around strong values during a convivial gathering. The project’s originality also lies in the fact that this event is organised by a group of young student volunteers from diverse backgrounds in medicine, philosophy and biology, with the support of teams from Sorbonne University.
Discover the full programme here (in French).
Le Serment d’Augusta podcast has been produced since 2025 by Olympe de Gê, the Faculty of Health at Sorbonne University, the AP-HP Foundation, the Paris Brain Institute and the ASU-GHI Institute of Global Health, with the support of the Sorbonne University Foundation and the Sorbonne University Alliance as part of the SOUND – ExcellencES France 2030 project. The first two seasons were co-produced by Binge Audio.
This event forms part of the Sorbonne University Alliance’s ‘SOUND - for a new commitment’ project, funded by the French government through the French National Research Agency (ANR) under the France 2030 programme and the European Union’s NextGenerationEU programme (ANR – 22 – EXES - 0004).
Please note that the event will be held in French.
Practical information
Date: Thursday 10 September 2026 from 6 pm to 9 pm
Location: Chapelle Saint-Louis de la Salpêtrière (83 Boulevard de l’Hôpital, 75013 Paris)
Free of charge upon reservation: presse@sorbonne-universite.fr or the enrolment form
