The School V - School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Oldenburg honoured its graduates at a ceremony. These include the first four graduates of the model degree programme in human medicine at the European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen (EMS). This programme started in the winter semester 2012/13. A further 37 EMS students have passed the equivalent of the first section of the medical examination. This, formerly known as the "Physikum", includes pre-clinical subjects such as anatomy, physiology, chemistry and physics. 32 graduates of the international Master's degree programme in Neurocognitive Psychology were also delighted with their successful completion. Dean Prof Dr Hans Gerd Nothwang also congratulated 18 graduates on their doctorates in natural sciences and human medicine as well as one post-doctoral candidate in the subject of urology.

"In addition to the personal successes of our graduates, today we are also celebrating the success of our still young School of Medicine: founded six years ago, we can now look forward to the first fully qualified doctors," said Prof Dr Meinhard Simon, Vice President for Research and Transfer at the University of Oldenburg. The School's range of subjects - from human medicine to medical physics and acoustics, neurosciences, psychology and healthcare research - is also "an asset that the university can use to its advantage", said Simon.

During the ceremony, Dean Hans Gerd Nothwang also honoured outstanding achievements: Nadine Jacobsen achieved the best Master's degree in the "Neurocognitive Psychology" degree programme, while Dr Andreas Schönfeld was honoured for his doctorate in Medical Physics. The School VI Doctoral Supervision Award, endowed with 1,000 euros, went to Prof Dr Simon Doclo from the Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics. "Our aim is to offer all students and early career researchers outstanding training and support. We have created all the important conditions for this over the last six years and will continue to do our utmost to achieve this," explained Nothwang.

Prof. Dr Reto Weiler, neurobiologist and co-founder of University Medicine Oldenburg, emphasised the importance of university medicine for north-west Germany in his speech. Prof. Dr Erik Boddeke, Dean of Research at the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG), congratulated the honoured students and graduates of the Oldenburg School on behalf of the Dutch partners. Photos: Markus Hibbeler/University of Oldenburg