The Hippocratic Movement creates independent National Hippocratic Movements, in several countries.

Each National Hippocratic Movement acts on two levels:

First Level: Creation of “legends” icons that medical students and young doctors can follow as examples; these icons can be:

1. Hippocrates: The Father of Medicine. A physician and philosopher who established the Art of Medicine as a combination of professional technical excellence, and a compassionate, empathetic treatment of the patient.

HM has reached a collaboration agreement with the municipality of the island of Kos, birthplace of Hippocrates. The island of Kos gives to HM seedlings of the legendary tree that is preserved on the island and, according to legend, under its canopy, Hippocrates taught his students. The municipality has assigned HM as an official representative in issues related to Hippocrates.

With the planting of a shoot in the medical school, along with a bust of Hippocrates and a phrase highlighting the social importance of compassion in medicine, it is expected that students will always have an icon of their profession in view. At the same time, they will be able to take the Hippocratic oath by the tree, after a ceremony that highlights the commitment they have just sworn to society.

2. Local Icons: Local healthcare professionals, consecrated in their profession, who have been able to dedicate their professional life to the care of the patient and combined technical excellence with compassion.

HM offers to healthcare societies, universities and hospitals the possibility of distinguishing these Hippocratic professionals with a plaque of honor, with an embedded leaf of the Hippocratic tree, provided by the municipality of the island of Kos. The plaques will be delivered to the distinguished professionals at an official ceremony, during the society’s annual congress or in the hospital’s amphitheater in the presence of professionals and students.

An award-winning conference on his or her vision of medicine and humanism will be requested.

The names of the distinguished doctors are recorded in the book of honor at the Hippocrates Museum in Kos.

HM would like to give the opportunity to spread among the professionals and students the example of distinguished professionals through publications, interviews, and videos.

Second Level: Creation of Hippocratic chapters in medical societies, universities and hospitals. The methods of operation and proposals of activities of these chapters is well established; HM makes it available to the institutions.

It will be the objective of each chapter to:

•  Maintain the awareness that the human face of medicine is a fundamental duty of all who wear the white coat, and an approach that is beneficial for the patient as well as the doctor.
• Conduct conferences, promote empathy and inter-professional skills training seminars. Courses will be proposed to use technology as a catalyst to strengthen the doctor-patient relationship instead of distancing them.
• Design new initiatives to promote the ideals of compassion.

An international network of Hippocratic chapters allows exchange and meetings, where healthcare physicians or students can share their experiences, efforts and projects.