In mid-June at UIC Barcelona, the graduation ceremony took place for the third class to complete the course in Medicine. Following some words of welcome from the lecturer Marta Elorduy, Vice Dean and Director of the Degree in Medicine, Dr Mercè Boada, neurologist and patron of the graduation ceremony addressed the students with some heartfelt words which described her personal and professional journey through the world of medicine since leaving the lecture halls of the faculty behind. She spoke to the newly qualified professionals about her first years: “you are going to be very scared, and I want to speak to you about fear because no-one told me about it when I was studying and I didn't know what to do… I learnt to anticipate, predict and follow protocol, to listen, understand and read between the lines”. She went on to encourage the graduates to always continue learning whatever they might be doing: “medicine comes in all shapes and sizes: no one type is more important than another”, she told them and went on “Everything is allowed and everything is perfect; be what you want to be and don't worry. Keep dreaming: whatever you choose will turn out to be the best option. You can do research wherever you are; in every corner of the world good medicine exists where there are good doctors”.
After speeches from class representatives, the handing over of diplomas and the reading of the Hippocratic Oath by Dr Paloma Puyalto who was chosen by the students, the Dean, Dr Albert Balaguer, closed the ceremony with a few words to encourage the new medical professionals to apply all their energy to “the privilege of serving humanity”. His speech also covered the professional ideal taught at UIC Barcelona: “You have learnt many technical things and also improved your values: seeking out the truth, putting people at the centre of our mission, commitment to work… and all of that means being friendly, optimistic, a team player, etc”. “How do we like to train our doctors? Always keen to learn, with a positive critical spirit and the ability to empathise with patients”.
The ceremony closed with the singing of Gaudeamus Igitur (So Let us Rejoice).
