The opening ceremony of the UP Medical School and Faculty of Pharmacy was held this year on 1 September in the Dr. Romhányi György Aula.
“I still feel that I have chosen the most wonderful and sublime profession” - these were the words of Professor Tamás Tényi, Vice-Dean for General Affairs, Student Welfare and International Relations, who recalled his memories as a student in his speech. Like their predecessors, he said, first-year students must follow the bumpy road of their studies to become good doctors and responsible intellectuals. He talked about the infrastructural improvements of recent decades, the importance of the model change, and the anniversaries of the international training programs: the English programme was established 40 years ago, the German programme 20 years ago, and the Biotechnology programme 15 years ago.
The first-year students were also welcomed by the Chairs of the English and German Programme Committees, Professors Ferenc Gallyas and Péter Than.
Professor Ferenc Gallyas, Chair of the English Programme Committee, pointed out that the students do not have an easy job, as - unlike their Hungarian and German peers - they most likely do not study medicine in their mother tongue. They also have to adapt to a different cultural environment, which is also a challenge.
“You are coming to a multicultural environment, and I hope you make the most of it! Experience all its elements, taste new flavours, meet new people, make friends, experience and enjoy it all as much as possible,” concluded Dr. Ferenc Gallyas.
“The anniversary number 20 represents achievement and recognition, the secret of which lies in the success of our students. Walt Disney reportedly said that it is kind of fun to achieve the impossible, but do not be scared, impossible obstacles can be overcome! Balance learning and having fun, and build relationships with international and Hungarian programme students,” Professor Péter Than, Chair of the German Programme Committee, encouraged the first-year students.
After the welcome speeches - continuing the tradition of last year - a motivational speech followed, for which the leadership of the Medical School invited a former student of the School. This year, Dr. Ádám Schlégl, assistant professor, orthopaedic and traumatology specialist, one of the four candidates of the Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) programme launched in 2021, expressed his thoughts.
“You can all achieve your goals, both in medicine and life. The greatest growth often comes from the most difficult moments. The fact that you are here proves that you can do it. The most important thing is to trust yourself. Believe that your professors here were just as afraid and excited when they sat here! If I had been told that in 15 years, I would be the author of two textbooks, be trained in a fighter bomber, have to jump from a helicopter into a river, or be discussing with a NASA representative how to take a stool sample in zero gravity, I would have laughed. When I applied to become an astronaut two and a half years ago, I did not tell anyone for a long time. I did not think I was good enough. Then, a year later, I found myself in a pressure chamber simulating dehermetization. Do not make that mistake, be brave, step out of your comfort zones, because you will need it at this university”, emphasized Dr. Ádám Schlégl in his motivational speech, who also stressed that medicine is not just about knowledge and skills, but also about humanity. Behind every patient, he said, there is a story, a family, and a life entrusted to the doctor.
Dr. András Fittler, Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, quoted thoughts from Adam Grant’s book titled Give and Take in his welcome speech. This volume explores the connections between different types of people and success, and the author says that the most successful people are those who are helpful.
“We are lucky because all of us in this room have chosen the helping profession, which is the key to professional and personal success as well. At the same time, it is important not to be afraid to ask for help when such a situation arises,” said András Fittler.
Professor Judit Pongrácz, Head of the Biotechnology BSc programme, also welcomed the first-year students. As she said, they have chosen a dynamic field that requires a solid basis in natural sciences, biostatistics, economics, and ethics. She emphasized that they are working to ensure that students always have the most up-to-date and relevant professional knowledge. In addition to theoretical education and laboratory practices, future biotechnologists will also benefit from a wide range of industrial contacts, giving them an insight into their future profession.
After taking the oaths in Hungarian, English and German, Balázs Takács, representative of the Hungarian Student Council of the Medical School, Ahmad Al Debsi, a fifth-year English programme student, and Paul Rabeling, also a fifth-year German programme student, welcomed the first-year students.
The Outstanding Achievement Award is awarded each year to students who have completed all the compulsory subjects of their curriculum during the last two semesters, and whose corrected credit index was above 4.5.
List of the awarded students:
2nd year:
- General Medicine (Hungarian programme): Zsófia Doma
- General Medicine: Koki Hayashi
- Allgemeine Humanmedizin: Lisanne Greta Stratmann
- Dentistry Programme (Hungarian programme): László Bendegúz Jámbor, Kitti Nikol Ruzsics
3rd year:
- General Medicine (Hungarian programme): Kristóf Zsolt Káposztás, Dávid Böröcz, Ivett Erika Puskás, Balázs Remenyik
- General Medicine: Markus As
- Dentistry Programme (Hungarian programme): Bence Bacsó
4th year:
- General Medicine (Hungarian programme): Enikő Horváth
- General Medicine: Sofie Lindseth Moester
- Dentistry Programme (Hungarian programme): Boglárka Fűrész
- Dentistry Program: Niusha Iranzad Asl
- Zahnmedizin: Marc Fischler
5th year:
- General Medicine (Hungarian programme): Dorka Marton, Dominik Imre Szabó, Attila Gyéresi, Boglárka Tóth
- General Medicine: Tobias Evason Fredriksen
- Allgemeine Humanmedizin: Julius Thomas Fidelius Nanning
- Dentistry Programme (Hungarian programme): Flóra Anna Peterka
- Zahnmedizin: Rudolf Kóthy
6th year:
- General Medicine (Hungarian programme): Szilárd Krisztián Székely
- General Medicine: Marikken Skaset
- Allgemeine Humanmedizin: Jessica Seetge
Since last year, the Medical School is awarding the Zoltán Gregus Award, named after the internationally recognized professor emeritus of the UPMS Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy.
The Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy may present the award to a medical student participating in the Hungarian program with the most outstanding performance in the pharmacology exam in the given year. The certificate and prize can be awarded to one student per year.
The Zoltán Gregus Award was awarded to Dominik Imre Szabó this year.
At the ceremony they also commemorated those professors and employees of the Medical School and the Clinical Centre who cannot be with us anymore:
- Zsoltné Keresztesy, Laboratory Specialist at the Department of Biophysics
- Professor Béla Török, professor emeritus, former head of the Department of Experimental Surgery
- Gabriella Magyar, administrative officer at the Department of Biophysics
- Ágnes Szűcs, medical clerk at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy
- Professor Erzsébet Rőth, Tamásné Szmolenszky, professor emeritus, former head of the Department of Surgical Research and Techniques
- Judit Meretei Kósáné, head operation theatre nurse at the Department of Hospital Hygiene
- Dr. Ferenc Sárdi, retired Assistant Professor at the Department of Pathophysiology and Gerontology
- Professor Károly Ozsváth, professor emeritus, former head of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
- Professor Lajos Vereczkei, professor emeritus, former head of the Department of Behavioural Sciences.
Photo:
Verébi Dávid
