Sixty-eight medical students from 27 countries have graduated from Queen Mary University of London’s Malta campus in Gozo.
The graduation ceremony was held at Cathedral Square in Victoria on Thursday and marked the fifth cohort to complete the university’s five-year medical programme in Malta.
Since Queen Mary’s first intake in Gozo in 2017, more than 200 students have graduated from the campus.
The Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery programme is delivered by Queen Mary’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. It includes early contact with patients, clinical training, and the development of the scientific and professional skills needed in medical practice.
Professor Sir Mark Caulfield, Queen Mary’s vice-president for health, said the graduates were leaving the programme with the knowledge, clinical skills and values needed to contribute to healthcare wherever they choose to work.
He also said that modern healthcare needs doctors who combine scientific excellence with compassion, adaptability and a commitment to lifelong learning.
Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri, who attended the ceremony, described the graduation as both an academic achievement and the beginning of a career built around service to patients.
He said the partnership with Queen Mary had helped strengthen Gozo General Hospital’s role as a teaching hospital, while supporting the island’s ambition to grow as a centre for healthcare and medical education.
Recent investment at Gozo General Hospital was also highlighted during the ceremony. This includes improvements to the cardio-respiratory unit, the opening of an early pregnancy room and the purchase of new diagnostic equipment.
Equipment mentioned included an MRI scanner, a new CT scanner, cardiac imaging equipment, additional ultrasound machines and a bone-density scanner.
According to the minister, these investments are intended to help speed up diagnosis, improve treatment and reduce the need for Gozitan patients to travel to Malta for certain services.
Further projects are also under way, including an expanded outpatients department, a new women’s health unit, a modernised laboratory and a new pharmacy department using robotic technology.
The coronary care and intensive therapy units are also being upgraded, while two new operating theatres are planned.
Future proposals mentioned include a renal unit, a helipad, a drone-based medical service and, in the longer term, the construction of a new hospital for Gozo.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the British High Commission, the University of Malta, Gozo General Hospital and the Gozo Business Chamber.
Queen Mary said its Malta campus has continued to build links with the local healthcare and education sectors. Recent community initiatives include the donation of 70 computers to the Bishop’s Conservatory Secondary School in Gozo.
For the 68 graduates, the ceremony marked the end of an important chapter in Gozo and the start of their journey in medicine.
Credit: DOI
