Phi Delta Epsilon () (commonly known as PhiDE) is a co-ed international medical fraternity and a member of the

Professional Fraternity Association The Professional Fraternity Association (PFA) is an American association of national, collegiate, professional fraternities and sororities that was formed in . Since PFA groups are discipline-specific, members join while pursuing graduate (law, m ...

History

Phi Delta Epsilon was founded on October 13, 1904, at

Cornell University Medical College The Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University is Cornell University's biomedical research unit and medical school located in Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York. Weill Cornell Medicine is affiliated with NewY ...

. Founders were: * Aaron Brown * Henry Aaronson * Michael Halpern Barsky * Bernard Hyle Eliasberg * Irving Harold Engel * Philip Frank * Abraham Leon Garbat * William Isidore Wallach During the first decade of this century there were many doors closed to Jewish medical students and physicians, doors which would not fully open until after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. In 1904, it was not uncommon for American medical schools and medical fraternities to have quotas limiting admission of Jewish students. Thus, Brown and his friends decided to start their own fraternal organization, guided by the precepts of philanthropy, deity, and equity. Soon after, more chapters were organized in the East and Midwest. In 1918, Phi Delta Epsilon amalgamated with Alpha Phi Sigma,Not to be confused with the

Alpha Phi Sigma Alpha Phi Sigma () (Phi is pronounced "fi") is the only Criminal Justice Honor Society accredited by the Association of College Honor Societies. Traditionally a national organization serving United States universities, recent expansion into Canadi ...

, the criminal justice honor society of the same name, founded in 1942 at

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, nor the scholarship recognition society called Alpha Phi Sigma founded in 1930 at

Truman State University Truman State University (TSU or Truman) is a public university in Kirksville, Missouri. It had 4,225 enrolled students in the fall of 2021 pursuing degrees in 52 undergraduate and 11 graduate programs. The university is named for U.S. Presid ...

. a medical fraternity organized in 1908, whose ideals and principles were similar to those of PhiDE. Its seven existing chapters were in the Midwest and West, which geographically complemented the existing PhiDE chapters. Following the merge, the chapters were divided into districts, and by 1930, enough members had graduated from medical schools to form graduate clubs. In 1926, an Endowment Fund was started. In the 1940s, the Aaron Brown Lectureship Program was begun and has remained an important chapter event through the years. In the late 1960s, the fraternity opened its membership to women and encouraged recruitment of medical students of all races, nationalities and religious beliefs. The fraternity's membership diversified throughout the following decades. The addition of the premedical affiliation in 1994 at

Binghamton University The State University of New York at Binghamton (Binghamton University or SUNY Binghamton) is a public research university with campuses in Binghamton, Vestal, and Johnson City, New York. It is one of the four university centers in the Stat ...

rounded out the fraternity's membership, which now spans an entire lifetime of medical education and practice.Phi Delta Epsilon homepage
/ref> The Fraternity has over 35,000 practicing professionals in its active network.

Symbols

Over the course of its history, the fraternity has recognized three badges. The first and oldest badge includes the Greek letter Phi on its left side, Delta at its top, and Epsilon on its right. The Delta is set with pearls on its sides and amethysts at its angles. Below the Delta is a torch, and in front of the torch is a bow with a ruby at its center. All badges are identical, but as occasion demands various stones are placed therein to designate successful completion of a term in a specific International Board office. The fraternity's premedical badge is made of 14 carat gold and is triangular in shape. The left side of its face is purple, while the right side is ivory. The medical badge, also made of 14 carat gold, consists of a torch centered in front of the outline of a triangle. The seal of the fraternity consists of the scales of justice with the letters Phi, Delta, and Epsilon on the sides and at the bottom. The scale is balanced upon a

caduceus The caduceus (☤; ; la, cādūceus, from grc-gre, κηρύκειον "herald's wand, or staff") is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology and consequently by Hermes Trismegistus in Greco-Egyptian mythology. The same staff was also ...

with a Delta as its base. The letter Alpha appears beside the left wing and the letter Sigma beside the right. Above the center of the wings is a star containing the letter Phi. Both badge and seal may only be used or worn by initiated members. The Fraternity's colors are Royal purple and ivory. Other symbols of PhiDE include

amethyst Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz. The name comes from the Koine Greek αμέθυστος ''amethystos'' from α- ''a-'', "not" and μεθύσκω (Ancient Greek) / μεθώ (Modern Greek), "intoxicate", a reference to the belief that ...

pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...

, and the scarlet red

carnation ''Dianthus caryophyllus'' (), commonly known as the carnation or clove pink, is a species of ''Dianthus''. It is likely native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 2,000 years.Med ...

Chapters

The chapter list of Phi Delta Epsilon includes the following groups. Those founded prior to 1962 are noted in Baird's Manual (20th ed), while newer chapters are from the Fraternity's website:

Other professional medical fraternities

In addition to the medical fraternities listed here, there are numerous chiropractic, pre-health, pharmacy and nursing fraternities. * Alpha Delta Theta, medical technology *

Alpha Gamma Kappa Alpha Gamma Kappa ( or AGK) is the oldest and largest professional fraternal organization for students and practitioners of podiatric medicine in the United States. The fraternity was founded in 1939 at the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podia ...

* Alpha Kappa Kappa *

, see Phi Delta Epsilon *

Alpha Tau Sigma Alpha Tau Sigma () was a professional medical fraternity that ceased operations in 1964. History Alpha Tau Sigma Fraternity was a professional medical fraternity founded in 1912 at the American School of Osteopathy American(s) may refer to: * ...

, Osteopathic, dormant * Mu Sigma Phi, Philippines * Nu Sigma Nu *

Omega Tau Sigma Omega Tau Sigma () is a Veterinary Medicine Professional fraternities and sororities, professional fraternity started at the University of Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine in 1906 ...

, veterinary medicine *

Omega Upsilon Phi Omega Upsilon Phi () was a medical fraternity founded at the University at Buffalo on . Its Founders were: The crest was a shield displaying a monogram of the Omega Upsilon Phi letters below an eye. The colors are crimson and gold and the fl ...

, see Phi Beta Pi *

Phi Alpha Gamma Phi Alpha Gamma () is a professional fraternity founded at the New York Homeopathic Medical College, March 25, 1894, by Thomas D. Buchanan, Thomas F. Davies, Edmund M. De Vol, Robert M. Jones, Brooks DeF. Worwood, Arthur B. Smith and Harry S. Wil ...

, formerly Homeopathic, see Phi Chi *

Phi Beta Pi Phi Beta Pi () medical fraternity is a professional fraternity founded in 1891 at the West Pennsylvania Medical College. History Phi Beta Pi medical fraternity is a professional fraternity founded March 10, 1891, at the West Pennsylvania Medical ...

Phi Chi (''Phthomen Chraismein'') en, First to Serve , colors= Olive green & white , symbol= Adult Tiger Beetle (''Cicindela patruela''), Doodlebug , flower= Lily of the Valley , publication= ''The Chronicles''; formerly ''The Quarterly'' , chapters= 1 ...

Phi Kappa Mu The Phi Kappa Mu () is a medical fraternity based in the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. The Greek letters stands for Fraternity of the College of Medicine. Founded in August 1933, it is the oldest medical fraternity in the ...

, Philippines *

Phi Lambda Kappa Phi Lambda Kappa () is a professional medical fraternity that was founded at the University of Pennsylvania in 1907. History The fraternity, founded as a local of this same name in 1907 at the University of Pennsylvania, grew into a national of 4 ...

Phi Rho Sigma Phi Rho Sigma () is a professional fraternity founded by medical students at Northwestern University in 1890. Early History Phi Rho Sigma was founded at the Northwestern Medical School, then the Chicago Medical College on . Its founder were: * ...

Sigma Mu Delta Sigma Mu Delta ({{lang, grc, ΣΜΔ) is a professional pre-medical fraternity founded at University of California, Davis in 1994. It is the first organization of its kind on the West coast. Currently, Sigma Mu Delta has chapters at the University ...

, pre-medical *

Theta Kappa Psi Theta Kappa Psi Medical Fraternity, Incorporated, () is a North American professional medical fraternity. As of 2023, it operates as an independent local fraternity with one active chapter. History Kappa Psi The Society of Kappa Psi was founded ...

References

External links