Celebrating Success at the CoMH Spring Conferrings 2025

28 Mar 2025

Congratulations to our newest Graduates!

On Friday 28th March, CoMH celebrated Spring 2025 conferrings in DeVere Hall.

A wonderful ceremony, we were delighted to join our graduates from the Master of Public Health, MSc (Infection Prevention and Control) and MSc (Occupational Health) on this very special day. 

Prof Helen Whelton, Head of the College of Medicine and Health and the Chief Academic Officer for the HSE South West Region, warmly congratulated CoMH's newest graduates! "It is a true privilege to stand before you today as we celebrate this milestone in your journey. We are pleased to have 278 students graduating from the College today with Masters and PhDs across a whole host of diverse specialist health areas.

To all of you graduates - congratulations! We are delighted to join you in celebrating your hard work, dedication, and resilience. You have spent years mastering your disciplines, developing your skills, and preparing to step into professions that are not just careers, but callings.

Of course, none of us achieve success alone. So, let’s also take a moment to recognise the families, friends, mentors, and faculty members who have supported you along the way. Their encouragement, patience, and belief in you have been invaluable.

As you step into the next stage of your career, you are entering a healthcare landscape that is evolving at an extraordinary pace. New technologies, groundbreaking research, shifting patient expectations and the Slaintecare National Health Strategy are reshaping how we deliver care. But while the tools and techniques will continue to change, the core of healthcare remains the same:

Compassion must always be at the heart of what you do. Patients will remember how you made them feel far more than the technical details of their treatment. The science of healthcare is advancing, but it will always be your empathy, your ability to listen, and your human connection that define excellence.

Innovation is your responsibility as well as your opportunity. Digital health, AI, and personalized medicine are not distant concepts—they are here. Staying curious, keeping up-to-date with advancements, and embracing change will make you not only better professionals but also pioneers in your fields.

Resilience is more important than ever. The past few years have shown us the immense pressures that healthcare professionals face. Your well-being matters. Looking after yourself is not a luxury—it’s essential for sustaining a long and fulfilling career in healthcare.

Today, you leave this institution not just with knowledge but with pride in having the skills and knowledge you need to make a difference to the lives of the people you serve. Our health service will be all the richer because of your contribution and your commitment to learning.

Continue to learn, grow, and challenge yourselves. Seek out new knowledge, collaborate across disciplines, and always remember why you chose this path in the first place.

Graduation marks the end of one chapter, but the beginning of something even greater. You are now part of a community of professionals who will shape the future of healthcare. Walk forward with confidence, knowing that you are ready to face whatever comes next.

Before I finish, I want to take a moment to thank the dedicated and talented staff across the College and University who have supported you throughout your education. Many of our staff are global leaders in health education and research, as reflected in the recent QS International University rankings, where, for example, our Nursing program achieved an outstanding 27th place in the world, alongside excellent rankings for our other healthcare disciplines. I also want to share our sincere appreciation for our clinical colleagues in the health service, who so generously welcome and teach our students in their hospitals and clinics.

Congratulations once again—I wish you all success and fulfillment in the future."