UWI med class of 2025 delivers best results in five years

The 2025 graduating class of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus, has set a new benchmark for academic excellence, achieving the best results in five years. Out of 37 students, 36 successfully passed their final clinical exams, with 14 earning honours and four receiving distinctions. The remarkable achievement was celebrated during the Hippocratic Oath Taking Ceremony held at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Auditorium on Thursday. Dr. Damian Cohall, Dean of the Faculty, lauded the performance as one of the most outstanding in recent memory. He noted that 36 out of 38 candidates passed, with one granted a medical exemption. The ceremony marked the culmination of a rigorous five-year journey, including three years of pre-clinical studies and two years of clinical rotations in local hospitals and health centres. The final assessment, the unified Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) clinical exam, took place on May 30. While the event celebrated academic success, it also emphasized the deeper responsibilities of the medical profession. Dr. Cohall reminded the graduates that medicine is not just about knowledge but also about compassion and ethical practice. He highlighted the evolving landscape of healthcare, shaped by artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and robotics, but stressed that the human touch remains irreplaceable. ‘ChatGPT may become your medical colleague, but your humanity, judgement, and compassion cannot be programmed,’ he said. Dr. Anthony Harris, Director of Medical Services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, echoed this sentiment, urging the graduates to focus on patient care in an era of rapid technological advancement. ‘Medicine remains a personal profession,’ he said. ‘At the end of the day, it’s a human being in front of you who needs care.’ The Hippocratic Oath, a centuries-old tradition, served as a solemn reminder of the ethical and moral responsibilities that come with the title of doctor. The Class of 2025 was encouraged to prioritize patient care and uphold the noble values of the profession, even as the medical field continues to evolve.