Prof. Dr. Bozhidar Ivanov Yordanov, PhD

Dean of the Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University of Sofia

Dean’s Graduation Speech - 2021

Dear graduates, esteemed colleagues,

It is a great honour and privilege for me, on behalf of my vice Deans and speaking for myself, to greet you, the graduates of the Faculty of Dental Medicine, Sofia Medical University, class of 2021, on this humble ceremony for handing over your university diploma.

Graduation is a very special and festive event of your life. It is a symbol of a turning point, new page, new big step, new beginning in your professional career.

Being alumni of the Faculty of Dental Medicine – Sofia, your vocation is to contribute to the development and prestige of our profession, for the benefit of human society.

All of us, your professors, are absolutely certain, that you will be worthy ambassadors of our educational institution and constantly upgrading our excellent reputation.

I believe that you, the graduates of Sofia Faculty of Dental Medicine, regardless of the area of dental practice you will work, will have the opportunity to enrich the lives of people around you, and you will do it with dignity.

In the process of your professional realization, my appeal for you is to always remember why you have this noble profession and all the difficulties you have had to get the knowledge and manual skills for one purpose – to serve society and work for improvement of the quality of life of your patients – with compassion and honesty.

Our educational philosophy is to urge our graduates for learning and professional perfection throughout life and to encourage their contribution to oral health – on a national level and globally.

I would be extremely joyful in the future, when you would have become successfully practicing doctors – do not forget your professors and fellow students. We all will be always proud of your achievements and professional success.

Finally, I would like to give special thanks to your parents - for their full support during those difficult and challenging years at the University.

I wish you health, remarkable professional realization, good life and prosperity.

Good luck, dear dental medicine doctors!

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Dr Regina Boxhorn

 

Graduation speech of Dr Regina Boxhorn

Good morning everyone! Welcome to the graduation ceremony of our class 2021.

Graduates, here we are today gathered in what feels like the first time in forever, but also the last.

Today is about us.

Today is about celebrating all of our hard work with our loved ones.

Today is about how we took on a new challenge every single day in the last six years of our studies.

Today is about us, the class of 2021, who will walk across this stage and be able to call ourselves Doctors of Dental Medicine!

For all of us, this moment is the culmination of the past 6 years. Every memory that we have made here, in this beautiful city of Sofia, will be carried with us to the next endeavors of our lives. Looking back into our past, we can see what our class has endured and accomplished, proving that we are the most resilient class to have walked through the halls of the Faculty of Dental Medicine.

Much of the reason for being here today surrounds us right now – from our parents to our teachers and administration. You are the reason why we are here tonight. And in behalf of my pears I would like to thank you. Thank you for your role in our success!

And Graduates, I would like you to thank yourselves as well, for your efforts, perseverance but mainly for your resilience, during the times when exams and University itself seemed impossible. Since we started University in Autumn 2015, we have experienced numerous difficult events, yet we were able to overcome them in amazing ways. In March of 2020, the world was hit with a global pandemic, so the events of our last year at university were truly out of the ordinary, to say the least. We would have hoped for a typical end of our journey, but we were presented with something other than what is called typical.

The start of our 6th year, was like no other. Many of us were stuck back in their home countries and repeating lockdowns made a normal schedule impossible. However, as a class we adjusted to a new and daunting learning environment, to fulfil the needed requirements and stay safe at the same time. Despite this once in a lifetime events, our resilience remained persistent. This will forever set us apart, in which we learned valuable lessons that no classroom could have taught us. We learned to adapt to sudden changes, to control the things that we can control and accept the things that we cannot. And to make the most out of every single moment.

Even after a million years, I would not have imagined standing here, addressing the strongest and most remarkable class, which is, truly, the embodiment of resilience. If there is anything that 2021 has taught us, it is that:

We, the class of 2021 have faced extraordinary challenges, like never before and successfully conquered them.

We, the class of 2021 have adapted to life during a global pandemic unlike anything before and have grown stronger together.

We, the class of 2021 have proven that no matter how tough the challenge is, no matter how difficult the circumstances are, no matter how demanding the environment is, we will overcome them and we will succeed. Our future is in our hands, limited only by our own imagination.

Congratulations, Class of 2021! You did it!

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д-р Александра Подвързачова

Приветствие от д-р Александра Подвързачова

Уважаеми колеги, родители и преподаватели,

Искам да изкажа благодарността си за честта да говоря тук, пред всички вас, от името на нашия випуск.

Колеги, знаем колко трудно ни беше през тези 6 години. Особено тежки бяха последните 2, не само за нас, а и за всички по целия свят. Въпреки тези обстоятелства ние успяхме, и за голямо щастие днес сме заедно – един до друг, и за още по-голямо щастие - вече като дипломирани лекари по дентална медицина. Това ме прави изключително горда с нашия успех. Независимо от трудностите, имахме и прекрасни моменти, които всеки от нас ще си спомня с усмивка. Тук е мястото, в което открихме много верни приятели, а някои от нас и любовта. Общата ни цел ни събра на едно място, а многобройните часове, прекарани в технична зала, „Домашния уют“, всичките притеснения и мини- (и не чак толкова мини) паник атаките, ни обединиха и сплотиха още повече.

Бих искала да благодаря от името на всички колеги на нашите преподаватели, които бяха с нас през този дълъг и труден път и ни научиха на водещата парадигма в зъболекарската професия, а именно това, че на стола срещу нас има човек, към когото трябва да се отнасяме внимателно и с уважение, ръководейки се от правилото „Primum Non Nocere – Първо не вреди“. Нека се уповаваме и никога не забравяме етичните принципи на Хипократовата клетва във всички наши решения като лечители.

Към нашите скъпи родители – благодарим Ви за неотлъчната подкрепа, която безкористно ни оказвахте през тези 6 години. Вие преживявахте с нас (а понякога и повече от нас) всички трудности и радости. Скъпи родители, никога не бихме могли да ви се отплатим за това и сме ви безмерно, безкрайно благодарни!

Отличието, колеги, не означава пълно знание, означава отговорност. Винаги някой колега до нас може да знае повече, отколкото вие или аз. Затова е важно да бъдем земни, да не забравяме откъде сме тръгнали и да си помагаме. Нека винаги се уважаваме и съм убедена, че заедно ще покоряваме още много висини! И нека не допускаме някой да ни каже, че не можем и не сме достатъчно способни да направим това, което искаме. Напротив, колеги,  достатъчно силни сме и го доказахме с тази първа крачка към успеха, крачката, която правим днес – нашето дипломиране. Успех, колеги, гордея се с нас!

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