With beautiful ceremonies, students who have just graduated as midwives, physiotherapists, physicians, nurses, and dentists are honored. Their graduation is a significant milestone, not only for the graduates and their families but also for the faculty and society as a whole.
Both midwives and nurses were celebrated with a touching ceremony at Annedal Church, following the tradition of the Institute of Health and Care Sciences.
"Keep your curiosity alive – this is only the beginning," was the message from Vice Dean Gudmundur Johannsson, who represented Sahlgrenska Academy at the nurses’ solemn ceremony.
Friends for life
The newly graduated nurses, Hanna and Jenny, have become close friends during their studies and are now starting their careers together as nurses at the Cardiology Department at Östra Hospital.
“It feels surreal that we’ve finished these three intense years now. In a way, it felt like a long time, but it has gone by so quickly. It’s been incredibly fun! The best part of the program has been the camaraderie in the class, the sense of community, and all the new people we’ve gotten to know,” says Hanna.
“It’s an amazing feeling that we’ve built a new career in just three years. I think this is a program that could suit many people. Even though it’s tough at times because there’s so much to learn, overall, it’s been a lot of fun,” says Jenny.
Thomas also feels relieved to have completed the three-year nursing program:
“It’s been an excellent program, and I’d recommend it 100 percent! The best part has been all I’ve learned and the new people I’ve met. It feels good to start working, but I haven’t quite decided where yet. It’ll either be the Urology Department at Sahlgrenska or home healthcare.”
Plenty of good advice
This semester, 129 new physicians graduated in a ceremony held in the university’s main building in Vasaparken. The event was a dignified occasion, with beautiful piano music and numerous speeches. From the faculty, the new physicians were encouraged to embrace lifelong learning and reminded that they are always welcome back to their home university. They also received plenty of valuable advice for their future careers. One piece of advice was to recognize colleagues who choose not to take immediate action with a patient but instead adopt a "wait and see" approach – knowing when to wait is an underrated skill for physicians.
One of the newly graduated physicians is Daniel, who is now starting work as a junior doctor in psychiatry at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. He says it feels both satisfying and a bit surreal to have completed his studies:
“It’s hard to believe how fast the time has gone. I didn’t expect it when I started my first semester,” says Daniel, who began his medical studies with online lectures due to the pandemic.
Dima can now also call herself a doctor. She came to Sweden from Syria in 2015 and proudly wears a scarf embroidered with her name in Arabic and the year 2025. She describes the program as a fantastic experience, particularly because of the wonderful people she has met.
“I feel very fortunate to have secured a supportive internship in Borås. There, I’ll get to inspire and mentor other students,” says Dima, who hopes to conduct research on brain tumors in the future.
This semester, 59 dentists also completed their education and are ready to promote oral health in various ways. Their ceremony was held late on Friday afternoon and was both moving and joyful.