During a ceremony, School V - School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Oldenburg honoured its graduates. Among them were the first four graduates of the pilot degree programme in Human Medicine at the “European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen” (EMS). This programme was launched in the 2012/13 winter semester. A further 37 EMS students have passed the equivalent of the first stage of the medical examination. This stage, formerly known as the ‘Physikum’, covers, for example, the so-called pre-clinical subjects such as anatomy, physiology, chemistry and physics. Thirty-two graduates of the international Master’s degree programme in ‘Neurocognitive Psychology’ were also delighted to have successfully completed their studies. Dean Prof. Dr Hans Gerd Nothwang also congratulated 18 graduates on obtaining their doctorates in natural sciences and human medicine, as well as one candidate who has completed their habilitation in the subject of urology.

“Alongside the personal achievements of our graduates, today we are also celebrating a success for our still-young School of Medicine: founded six years ago, we can now rejoice in the first doctors to have completed their training,” said Prof. Dr Meinhard Simon, Vice-President for Research and Transfer at the University of Oldenburg. The breadth of the School’s subject areas – ranging from human medicine through medical physics and acoustics, and the neurosciences, to psychology and health services research – is also “an asset the university can capitalise on”, according to Simon.

During the ceremony, Dean Hans Gerd Nothwang also recognised outstanding achievements: Nadine Jacobsen achieved the highest Master’s degree in the “Neurocognitive Psychology” degree programme, whilst Dr Andreas Schönfeld was honoured for his PhD in Medical Physics. School VI’s PhD Supervision Award, worth 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 an excellent education and support. To this end, we have put all the necessary conditions in place over the last six years and will continue to devote our full efforts to this,” explained Nothwang.

Prof. Dr Reto Weiler, a neurobiologist and co-initiator of University Medicine Oldenburg, emphasised in his keynote speech the great importance of University Medicine Oldenburg for north-western Germany. 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