Fellow graduates, it’s been a privilege to learn alongside you and to learn from you. We may not remember every core condition in medicine, though that would be convenient, but we will always remember the friendships and the camaraderie that carried us through. As our time as students at the university draws to a close, I offer these final reflections, insights shared with me over the past seven years that felt particularly apt in view of the journey ahead.
Throughout my time in medicine, my grandfathers, or dadas, have been my biggest cheerleaders. On my mother’s side, Dada was an engineer in one of India’s leading industrial companies. He believed learning to be an investment that never loses value. With it lies the potential, and often social responsibility, to create meaningful impact in the lives of others. On my father’s side, Dada was a hospital administrator involved in setting up a world-class medical institute in India in the ’70s. Proudly, he was the institute’s very first employee. He tells me learning medicine is like an ocean. It just never ends. And from its depths emerge innovation and discovery.
The message? Keep learning. We’ve had the privilege of working with incredible clinical teams and incredible patients. The new life we held. The cord we cut. The child who came into the emergency department miserable and in pain, who was now happily raiding our sticker collection after having had their appendix out. The grieving family we offered tissues to when it was time to say goodbye.
The message? People are why we do what we do. Whether it’s the patients whose stories we’re entrusted with, or the lives touched by our research, people are our purpose. On our very first day of medical school, we received a message from our then program director, now Dean and Head of School, Professor Helen Wilcox. A reminder that fulfilment and longevity in our careers and our lives beyond involves looking after ourselves, recognising that everyone’s journey is different. The message? Medicine is a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s a team sport.
So, as we move forward and reach for our goals, let’s support each other. Let’s uplift each other. And of course, take a moment to appreciate the journey and just how far we’ve come. So once again, congratulations to everyone and thank you to our remarkable university community for giving us this platform to launch into our lives. I wish you all the very best with your future endeavours. Thank you.
