By: Franklin Asare-Donkoh
Ghana’s premier private medical school, Family Health University (FHU), has held its 2025/2026 Matriculation and White Coat Ceremony for students pursuing medical programmes.
The solemn yet inspiring ceremony, which took place at the University’s premises in Accra, marked the beginning of the medical journey for the new cohort, as they donned their white coats and pledged their commitment to the ideals of the medical profession.
Addressing the matriculants, the Founder and Vice-Chancellor of FHU, Professor Enyonam Yao Kwawukume, urged the students to adopt a lifelong commitment to continuous learning, reminding them that medicine is an ever-evolving field, and adding that medicine is a discipline where curiosity and knowledge fuel excellence.
“Act with integrity so that you will earn the trust of your patients and colleagues, while supporting one another in discovery, in service, and in compassion,” he said.
Delivering the keynote address on the theme “A Charter to Chart New Frontiers in Medicine: A Journey of Purpose and Excellence,” the Provost of the College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Professor Alfred Edwin Yawson, commended FHU’s leadership for achieving charter status, placing it among Ghana’s fully recognised higher educational institutions.
He stressed that the milestone comes with greater responsibility to raise standards in medical education, expand research capacity, and strengthen partnerships locally and internationally.
Prof. Yawson also challenged the management of FHU to embrace modern, student-centred teaching methods and harness science, technology, and innovation to address pressing health needs.
He charged the new students to begin their journey with clarity of purpose, not only to succeed academically but also to serve humanity as skilled professionals, ethical leaders, and compassionate healers.
“Embrace excellence in study, in character, and in patient care,” Prof. Yawson reiterated.
The Chairman of the FHU Council, Brigadier General Daniel Kwadwo Frimpong (Rtd.), also advised the students to be disciplined, punctual, and committed to teamwork throughout their training.
The Dean of the Medical School, Dr. Sylvester Yaw Oppong, who led the new students in reciting the matriculation oath, emphasised that FHU believes medicine is both a science and an art.
“Patients may forget the treatments you prescribe, but they will never forget the compassion, respect, and dignity with which you treat them,” he noted.
During the White Coat Ceremony, he further reminded students to wear the coat with pride and humility, urging them to be mindful of the weight of responsibility and the joy of faithful service to humanity.
Representing the student body, Mrs. Rosemary Ewurabena Essien, a member of the new Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP) class, encouraged her colleagues to balance their academic commitments with self-care, set clear boundaries to protect their study time, and build strong support networks.
The ceremony was attended by dignitaries, including Dr. Susu Bridget Kwawukume, Founder of FHU and Chief Medical Director of Family Health Hospital; Dr. Patience Aniteye, Dean of the School of Nursing and Midwifery; Dr. Rebecca Acaquaah-Arhin, Medical Coordinator at Family Health Hospital; heads of departments, faculty members, administrative staff, as well as parents and guardians.
The FHU’s GEMP class provides a pathway for degree holders in science-related fields to pursue the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree.
Through this programme, FHU continues its mission of training doctors to combine academic excellence with compassion, service, and leadership in the health sector.
