The University of Cape Coast (UCC) has graduated 56 qualified medical doctors at the First Session of the 51st Congregation dedicated to the School of Medical Sciences (SMS).

The fresh graduates made up of 35 males and 21 females were conferred with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB, ChB) degrees after successfully completing their six-year programme.

Among the graduands was a Nigerian called Dr Lotachi Ugwunwa Onyemenam who set a record by sweeping 15 out of 21 awards which were up for grabs.

Some of the awards received by Dr. Ugwunwa Onyemenam are the Vice-Chancellor of UCC prize for the overall best performance, Ghana Medical Association best student, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital prize for the best student among others.

The other awards went to Dr Akorfa Ama Wotordzor who received five awards with the remainder going to Dr Amanda Naa Atwei Bruce-Adjei.

Speaking at the graduation, the Vice- Chancellor of the school, Professor Joseph Ghartey Ampiah that the total number of medical doctors produced by UCCSMS is now 299 since its inception in 2007.

Prof. Ampiah revealed that the Modular System of delivering the curriculum is one of the keys and unique features of their medical school.

According to him, the adoption of the Community-Based Experience and Service (COBES) mode in the curriculum provides the students with their necessary exposure that helps them to sharpen their research skills.

This mode, he added also builds in them the virtue of empathy as they offer services to rural communities within their service catchment area.

Prof Ghartey Ampiah said his outfit continues to gain more recognition and visibility as it continues to make strides to collaborate with top notch universities around the world in the areas of Medical education and research, and its faculty carries out extension services with Ghanaian and International Institutions.

He said the School also signed and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Anhui University, China and continue with activities and programmes under various MOU’s signed in previous years with various institutions

He observed that despite all their marvelous performance, the school still struggles with the challenge of inadequate infrastructure and appealed to the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to release funds to help complete the structures.

Prof Ghartey Ampiah urged the new doctors to go out and touch lives as well as to put smiles on the faces of patients and make an impact on society.

“Do not get annoyed with patients when they ask you questions about your diagnoses of their illness or the treatment you are giving to them since it is their right to know” he urged.

Prof Ghartey Ampiah again appealed to the inducted doctors not only treat their patients but also spend the time to explain the cause of their sickness to them and how they can prevent the various ailments.

On his part, the Director General of Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr.Anthony Nsiah Asare urged the doctors not to feel shy to learn from nurses to teach them how to give proper injection.