- My highly esteemed colleagues! You have chosen a wonderful vocation and profession in order to help those who suffer from illness or disease. Could there be any goal more noble than this? As you embark on your careers to serve patients, let me assure and encourage you by saying that you do possess the modern knowledge that will enable you to meet the high expectations placed on licensed healthcare providers. Nevertheless, I must also remind you that meeting these expectations is not, and will not be, easy for you. It requires lifelong learning and constant self-education. I hereby wish you the best of health and strength in practicing your profession, a lot of perseverance and balance in performing your duties, and even more joy that you can experience by healing, so that you could become doctors in the true and literal sense of the word,” said László Mátyus, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, in his ceremonial opening speech.
Following the dean’s welcoming address, the students who had just graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Debrecen took a modern variation of the ancient Hyppocratic oath.
- We, the Vice-Rector and Senate of the University of Debrecen, by virtue of the authority vested in us, hereby confer the title of Doctor of Medicine upon you as a reward for your successfully completed studies, and grant you all the rights and privileges that are accorded to doctors of medicine by law- was the response by László Csernoch, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, after the oath-taking part of this White Coat Ceremony.
Altogether, there were seventeen Hungarian and forty-two foreign nationals at the ceremony receiving their diplomas as new doctors. On behalf of the fresh graduates, Ádám István Bódi and Ho Quang Trí Vinh took the floor to express their gratitude for their inauguration.
- At this solemn moment, we wish to express our heartfelt gratitude for the uplifting gesture of conferring upon us the title of Doctor of Medicine and inducting us into the medical profession. True to our vows, we promise to do our utmost to preserve the integrity and dignity of our profession, to contribute to the reputation of the University of Debrecen and to the development and prosperity of our respective countries, peoples and humanity. Now, as we embark on our battle against death, disease and suffering, we pledge to always do our utmost to meet the requirements of our chosen profession- said the newly inducted doctors.
On this ceremonial occasion, there were also several awards presented. The Rector of the University of Debrecen honored Zsolt Garami with a Pro Universitate Debreceniensi award in recognition of his work on behalf of the university. Zsolt Garami earned his medical degree in Debrecen in 1996 and has since lived and worked in the United States. He is an internationally renowned expert in imaging neurosonology. He is the medical director of the vascular ultrasound laboratory at Houston Methodist Hospital. He has been the president of HMAA, the Hungarian Medical Association of America since 2022. Professor Garami has provided internships for numerous medical students in Buffalo and Houston. He continues to maintain close ties with the University of Debrecen. As an international expert, he was an active participant in the Hungarian Astronaut Program, and it is due to his contribution that the space project of the Neurology Clinic of the University of Debrecen was implemented successfully.
In recognition of his outstanding public service and activities, Dávid Melis, a newly graduated doctor, received a Certificate of Recognition from the Rector and the Presidium of DEHÖK. Two recent graduates were awarded DETEP certificates for their work and contributions to the university's talent development program (Tran Bao Nghi, Ho Quang Trí Vinh). A Certificate of Recognition from the President and Vice President of the Student Self-Government was awarded to Fiebai Olaowei Sean, a newly inaugurated medical doctor. Miklós Asztalos Scholarships were also presented at the ceremonial council meeting. These scholarships were established by Professor Asztalos in 2023 out of respect for the high standard of medical training in Debrecen in order to support medical students worthy of this distinction. This year, just like in previous years, five medical students won the scholarship (Anna Zsófia Kádár, Márk Kendrovszki, Máté Kisgyörgy, Zsófi Balogh, and Emese Huber).
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