Congratulations to Our Pioneer Medical Interns!
I am deeply happy and proud to see you reach this remarkable milestone. You are not merely my former students; you are part of one of the proudest chapters of my professional journey—and an important part of the history of Debre Berhan University.
After the NIME medical program was discontinued, frequent leadership changes and earlier decisions regarding program prioritization made the admission of generic medical students seem almost impossible. With the remaining NIME students approaching graduation, the medical school itself was at risk of closure.
I remain profoundly grateful to the then University President, Dr. Nigus Tadesse; Board Vice-Chairman, Professor Abraham Haile Amlak; and Board Chairman, Dr. Gedion Thimotios, whose bold decision revitalized the medical school and opened the way for the admission of generic students.
The task was far from easy. We had no curriculum readily available, and newly admitted students had already been assigned to other programs. Nevertheless, through difficult days and long nights, we recruited, examined, assessed, and selected highly capable students from different departments through a rigorous, merit-based process.
It remains a great honour for me to have served as the “refounding” Dean of the School of Medicine. Your pioneering class helped secure the school’s future and contributed to the university’s subsequent institutional growth, including program accreditation and the establishment of its teaching-hospital role.
My sincere congratulations also go to the deans, directors, faculty members, and staff who worked alongside me and those who continued the journey after me. I cannot mention everyone who worked tirelessly—often until midnight and beyond—but I must especially recognize Aklile Semu, my Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, and Tsigereda Worke, my Executive Secretary. You deserve our deepest gratitude and congratulations.
My dear students, your progress has confirmed that the careful, merit-based process through which you were selected was absolutely worthwhile. You are now intern doctors. You will begin prescribing medicines, performing procedures, making clinical decisions, and caring for the most precious of all beings—the human person.
This milestone is not the end of the challenge; it is the beginning of a greater responsibility. Being pioneers is never easy. You must set the standard for the cohorts following you by demonstrating competence, integrity, humility, compassion, and genuine care for every patient entrusted to you.
Congratulations once again. I am immensely proud of you, and I wish you wisdom, strength, and success throughout your internship and future medical careers.
Tilahun Deresse: MD, MPH, FACS
Africa Health Sciences University
https://t.me/asrat_HSC
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