This year, Almazov National Medical Research Centre reopened its doors to accept new medical students. On September 1, the Centre held a matriculation ceremony for its third set of students. Following the admission campaign, 175 new students were enrolled for this academic year.
In 2018, the research institution for the first time in the history of Russia launched the pilot higher education programme in General Medicine following the Presidential Order. The goal of this project is to train achievement-oriented doctors at a national-level research institution with advanced medical technologies and facilities and highly qualified personnel.
The ceremony started with warm welcome words by Director General of Almazov Centre Evgeny Shlyakhto:
I congratulate everyone on the Day of Knowledge. It is a very good tradition to matriculate new students on the 1st of September. Coming up with best expectations, we are opening doors to a new life for you, and during the next 6 years you will be a part of Almazov Centre. By university standards we are a young institution. We are turning 40 this year, and we will celebrate this wonderful date together. Much has been done over these 40 years and we continue our rapid growth. Thanks to the Presidential Project, we launched education three years ago. I congratulate all of you on becoming a part of this experiment to train the doctor of the future within the science establishment, at a country’s largest scientific institution. Today’s medicine is patient-oriented. We are developing personalized medicine that should be based on care for the individual patient. But this requires an appropriate doctor training. Therefore, the requirements for personalized learning are becoming more and more demanding. It is necessary to train a doctor who takes all the best from all the universities in St. Petersburg. We very much hope that you will join our large family, become members of our team and fit with the inner culture of Almazov Centre. Studentship is a great time, but it is very important that you do not forget about Saint Petersburg, the style of the city and the traditions of Almazov Centre, so that you love your profession and do not lose your thirst for knowledge. I wish you all health, good luck, success, and we are here to help you achieve all of your goals together!
Due to the current epidemiological situation, this year’s matriculation ceremony was partially held online and featured a series of video messages from Chairwoman of the Russian Federation Council and the Board of Trustees at Almazov Centre Valentina Matvienko, Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko, Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Northwestern Federal District Alexander Gutsan, Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov, Chairman of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly Vyacheslav Makarov.
Director of the Medical Education Institute Elena Parmon, Dean of the Medical Faculty Galina Kukharchik and Chair of the Young Scientists and Specialists Council Zamira Magomedova cordially congratulated future doctors.
The students solemnly took an oath of allegiance to Almazov Centre and handed over a special time capsule to Director of the Institute Elena Parmon. The time capsule containing freshmen’s responses to questions for future doctors will be opened in 6 years, prior to the graduation ceremony, to provide a reflection on what they have learnt.