NEWS AND EVENTS

The solemn diploma award ceremony of Class of 2024 of the Faculty of Dental Medicine – Sofia was held on 1st October 2024 in Hall 3 of the National Palace of Culture. Overall, 209 graduates received their higher education diplomas (132 Bulgarian and 77 foreign graduates, educated in English). The event was hosted by the Vice Dean of Students’ Affairs - Assoc. Prof. Mirela Takorova.
 

Official guests present at the ceremony were the Vice-President of the Republic of Bulgaria – Mrs. Iliana Yotova, the Minister of Health – Dr. Galya Kondeva, the Rector of the University, the Vice-Rectors and the Assistant Rector, the Chief Secretary, the Deans of the Faculties of MU - Sofia and the Dean of the Aristotle University - Thessaloniki, the President of the Bulgarian Dental Association, the Chairman of the Board of the Regional District Organizations of BDA, the Course Leader of the students, the Director of the Medical College "Yordanka Filaretova", the Chief Secretary of the Student’s Council, heads of departments and teachers from the Faculty of Dental Medicine.

"You are graduates of a university with over a century of history and traditions. It is the most prestigious educational and scientific center of higher medical education in the Republic of Bulgaria. To graduate from a university is not an easy task, it requires systematic efforts, rearrangement of priorities and strong motivation", accentuated the Rector of the University Prof. Boycho Landzhov, MD, PhD in his ceremony opening speech.

The Vice-President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mrs. Iliana Yotova highlighted that dental medicine is a result of the solid learning and hard work of generations of doctors. She advised the graduates not to consider their profession only as a craft but as an art. Madam Vice-President encouraged the young dentists to remember the advice of their teachers, who had guided them through the difficult path of knowledge.

"With your every action you should increase the authority of the profession you have chosen and the faculty you graduated from, follow the example of your teachers who unreservedly devoted their knowledge and experience to you!" With these words, Minister Kondeva expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the university management and the teachers for their dedication in the training of the future doctors of dental medicine.

In his message of congratulations to the young doctors, the Dean of the FDM Prof. Boyko Bonev, DMD, PhD emphasized: "Our main goal was to develop individuals – rational and successful. The university is not only a place for academic knowledge. Moreover, it is a ‘laboratory of life’ where you learn what responsibility, persistence and aspiration are," he added.

Many representatives of institutions showed their respect to the graduates through their congratulatory addresses: the Vice-Chairman of the Health Care Commission to the National Assembly, the Director of the DEOSS, the Deans of the FDM - Plovdiv and Varna, the Director of the Branch - "Prof. Ivan Mitev" - Vratsa and others.

Twelve top students were personally awarded. The first two valedictorians of Class 2024 – Dr. Vladislav Ivanov and Dr. Viktoria Raftopolu received their diplomas by the Rector of MU - Sofia, and the rest – by Prof. Boyko Bonev and the Deputy and the Vice Deans of the faculty.