Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) Faculty of Medicine celebrated the graduation of 322 students from the 2023-2024 academic year. The graduation ceremony, held at the OMU Life Center, was attended by OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Murat Terzi, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Prof. Dr. Cengiz Çokluk, Associate Dean Prof. Dr. Ahmet Tevfik Sünter, Chief Physician of the Faculty of Medicine Hospital Prof. Dr. Davut Güven, faculty members, graduates' families, and guests.

Rector Ünal: "As the OMU family, we are as excited as you are"

At the graduation ceremony, Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal expressed the excitement the entire OMU family felt: "As the OMU family, we are as excited as you are. We are thrilled to guide new graduates who will serve society. I am confident that you will exceed the expectations of your families and professors who have supported you. You are a graduate of a faculty that has a long-standing history, has institutionalized, and has contributed to OMU's development over the years. You will carry this identity throughout your life. We owe gratitude to those who directed you to medicine, supported you in all your successes, and stood by you. The rapid obsolescence of knowledge and technological advancements bring certain risks. If we do not renew ourselves and turn our education into lifelong learning, we will fall behind very quickly. My request to you is to develop yourselves continuously."

"You belong to an honorable profession"

Rector Ünal emphasized his ongoing support for the graduates in their professional journeys, "On behalf of my colleagues and institution, I want to state clearly: We have always supported you and will continue to do so. If you stop the process of self-development, you will regress. This is the greatest threat I see to your profession. Our greatest expectation is that you develop new knowledge to the highest skill level possible. You belong to an honorable profession. You are now members of a profession that society respects. Throughout your medical career, you must control your emotions against all adversities. If you do not strengthen your communication skills, you may face challenges in your professional life. The health and happiness of society depend on your perspective. We are confident you will perform your profession to the best of your abilities. We are always by your side."

Dean Çokluk: "Dear young colleagues, today is your day"

Dean Prof. Dr. Cengiz Çokluk began his speech by thanking the families of the graduates for their patience and support, "Founded in 1973, our Faculty of Medicine has come a long way in 50 years. We thank the families of our graduates for their trust and support. I sincerely congratulate you. For six years, you have supported a medical student with great dedication. Today, they are graduating, receiving their diplomas, taking their oaths, and starting their professional lives as young doctors. You should be immensely proud of them. Dear young colleagues, today is your day. You have worked hard for six years and deserve this celebration. You are ready to move on to the next stage of your lives. I have full confidence in you. Those who founded the OMU Faculty of Medicine aimed to raise socially conscious, knowledgeable, and analytical thinkers who are curious, research-oriented, can use technology in diagnosis and treatment, prioritize their patients, are compassionate, respectful of other healthcare professionals, and embrace ethical values and teamwork. We believe you will fulfill the noble medical profession with this awareness and belief. We trust you will take our country further as a generation free in thought, knowledge, and conscience."

"We are ready for medicine"

OMU Faculty of Medicine English program valedictorian Yiğit Mustafa Şahinoğlu expressed his pride, "It is an honor and a pleasure to speak on behalf of my classmates on this happy day. I am very excited because I feel the pride of being the doctor that Atatürk entrusted his life to when he said, 'Entrust me to Turkish doctors.' It is a great joy to share this moment, which we have all dreamed of and reached after a long education process. I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who is here with us today. As the 2024 graduate doctors, we will not let anything come between us and our patients. We will not tolerate discrimination against our patients based on language, religion, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We will do our utmost to ensure the health and well-being of our patients. We are ready for medicine."

"We had a fun and challenging journey in our education"

OMU Faculty of Medicine Turkish program valedictorian Reha Koç shared his thoughts, "We have reached the end of our six-year medical education today. I thank each of our professors who contributed. We had a fun and challenging journey with my classmates, whom I am proud to be with. We are now setting off, leaving behind the history of our faculty and the words of our professors in our ears. On this path we start today, we respectfully and gratefully remember Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who dedicated himself to the independence of the Turkish nation, entrusted himself to Turkish doctors, and showed Turkish youth that their place should always be beyond the horizon."

After the speeches, OMU Faculty of Medicine Turkish program valedictorian Reha Koç and English program valedictorian Yiğit Mustafa Şahinoğlu hammered their names into the faculty's plaque. The graduates then took the Hippocratic Oath together. After the oath, the students celebrated their graduation by tossing their caps. The ceremony concluded with the faculty members presenting success certificates to the graduates.