On June 24th, 26th, and 27th, 2025, the ceremonial graduation of students from the study programs PHYSIOTHERAPY, NURSING, LABORATORY DIAGNOSTIC METHODS IN HEALTHCARE, PUBLIC HEALTH, DENTAL MEDICINE, GENERAL MEDICINE, as well as the English programs GENERAL MEDICINE and DENTAL MEDICINE, took place in the Aula of the Faculty of Medicine at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice.
Over the course of three ceremonial days, 498 graduates, including 78 with honors, received their diplomas from the faculty leadership and took the solemn oath, officially committing themselves to the values and responsibilities of their profession. In speeches delivered by esteemed university and faculty representatives, including the Dean, Prof. MUDr. Peter Jarčuška, PhD., words of recognition and encouragement were expressed – not only toward successful professional careers but also toward maintaining humanity, empathy, and the need for continuous professional development and education.
A powerful part of the ceremonies were the words of the graduates, who shared authentic insights and emotions from their studies as well as hopes for the future.
Natália Dzurovčínová – graduate of General Medicine:
“From today, people will entrust us with the most precious things – their lives, their health, their fear. And we will have to offer them the certainty that they are not alone. We will enter rooms where someone is losing hope. We will have to be strong for those who are falling apart. We will hold hands that are growing cold. We will cry in the silence of the elevator. But it will not break us. Because we know why we do this. We do it for the child who gets a second chance. For the mother who takes her son home. For the elderly man who just needs someone to listen. We do it because we care. Because we chose a difficult path. A path where we often give more than we receive. But one that changes the world. One heart at a time. One soul at a time.”
Juraj Danko – graduate of General Medicine:
“The answers that will be expected of us may be quick, clear, and confident. That is precisely why we must preserve our ability to think, to question, and to appreciate knowledge. The education we received here shaped not only our ability to know, but especially to discern. Amid uncertainties and seemingly relative truths, we encountered the idea placed at the heart of Enlightenment philosophy by Kant – that reason is not just a tool of knowledge but a compass of morality. He taught us that freedom has no value without autonomy, and autonomy without commitment to good is empty. And it is in this ability to act not out of fear, nor by instruction, but out of respect for a law one gives oneself, that we discovered the ethical core of education. In this quiet transition from knowledge to conscience lies the deep meaning of education: not to be prepared for an exam, but for the world.”
Michaela Macková – graduate of Dental Medicine:
“The best professionals never stop being students – and so, my dear classmates, now colleagues, let us remember that the path we chose is, in its own way, a lifelong journey of learning. We must never let the thirst for knowledge that lives in each of us be extinguished. Let us not be afraid of making mistakes. Even though we are officially graduates today, real learning is just beginning – in clinics, by the dental chair, and in conversations with patients. And yes, mistakes will almost certainly come. But let them not discourage us. Mistakes are not failures if we learn from them – they are experiences that shape us, humility that keeps us grounded, and a school that does not end with a diploma.”
Dorota Salzerová – graduate of the bachelor’s program in Physiotherapy:
“From university, we take with us not only expert knowledge. The door to the world of medicine has opened for us, along with the realization of the responsibility that our calling brings. In addition to wisdom from books and practical experience, it is above all the friendships that shaped us – and their strength will continue to resonate within us for a long time. Graduation is not the finish line; it is the starting point. It does not matter whether we pursue further studies, start working, or follow a different life path. What matters most is that we never forget who we are, where we are going, and the kind of people we wish to become.”
We sincerely congratulate all our graduates and wish them a professional journey filled with meaningful work, professional recognition, personal success, and above all, joy and a deep sense of fulfillment in helping others.
