Prof. Yao Kwawukume with a cross section of students
The Founder and Vice-Chancellor of Family Health University (FHU), Prof. Enyonam Yao Kwawukume, has challenged newly admitted medical students to be diligent and strive for excellence as they work towards becoming professional doctors.
Speaking at the Matriculation and White Coat Ceremony of Family Health University, Prof. Kwawukume said the matriculation marked the beginning of a demanding intellectual and professional journey for the students, hence the need for them to be disciplined in order to deliver quality health care.
The ceremony, held under the theme, “The Making of Tomorrow’s Doctor: Intellectual Curiosity, Diligence, Bulldog Tenacity of Purpose and Clinical Excellence,” saw a total of 85 students from the Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP) and the Regular six-year Medical Programme matriculated to start their professional journey.
Prof. Kwawukume emphasised the importance of understanding the principles behind what they learn, noting that medical education should connect teaching, research and clinical practice, while encouraging them to manage their time effectively.
According to him, Family Health University is committed to providing an academic environment that promotes lifelong learning, teamwork, integrity, compassion, innovation, leadership, professionalism and inclusiveness, encouraging parents to continue to support their wards given the number of years they were required to learn.
Dean of the University of Ghana Medical School, Prof. Yvonne Dei-Adomakoh, challenged the students to embrace continuous learning and compassion, which she stated were essential for the students to achieve their goal of becoming competent medical professionals.
She observed that medicine was constantly evolving, with new diseases emerging, treatments developing and scientific understanding of the human body expanding and, therefore, cautioned the students against limiting their studies to lecture notes and examination requirements, but should rather read extensively, participate in research and take advantage of mentorship opportunities.
She noted that lecturers could only provide students with a portion of the knowledge required, making independent learning and intellectual curiosity essential to their professional development, adding that medical training required commitment and discipline, while encouraging them to embrace emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and medical research.
Council Chairman of Family Health University, Brigadier General Daniel K. Frimpong (Rtd), who congratulated the newly admitted students, urged them to allow the values of the institution to shape their character and professional conduct as they pursue their academic journey.
He also disclosed that the university continues to attract significant interest from prospective students, describing the institution’s growing demand as a blessing.
Among the dignitaries present include Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Family Health Hospital and Founder of Family Health University, Dr. Susu Bridget Kwawukume; Pro-Vice Chancellor of Family Health University; Professor Philip Odonkor, Dean of the Family Health Medical School; Dr. Sylvester Y. Oppong, Registrar of Family Health University; Mrs. Rita Kaine and several other faculty members.