250 future doctors from 26 different countries around the world donned caps and gowns to graduate from RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) on Thursday, 5 June.

Medical degrees were presented to graduands at the annual conferring ceremony in the Convention Centre, Dublin. 

The RCSI School of Medicine conferring ceremony sees the largest number of doctors in Ireland graduate each year. The conferring ceremony is a celebration for students and their who travelled from all over the world to attend the ceremony.

Mr Declan Magee, President RCSI, congratulated all those who graduated on their success. "You have become the newest constituents of, what I call, the RCSI World Wide Web and, wherever you end up in the world, you will not be far from a fellow Royal Collegian. So, be confident that you are now armed with the knowledge, clinical skills and attitudes to properly, in the words of your oath, consecrate your lives to the service of humanity. Go forward with enthusiasm to share our vision that you will be the healthcare leaders of tomorrow, who WILL make a difference worldwide."

An honorary doctorate was awarded to Professor Abraham C. Verghese, physician and best-selling author. This is the fourth RCSI honorary doctorate to be awarded since RCSI received independent degree awarding status in 2010. An infectious disease physician, Verghese is senior associate chair and professor of the theory and practice of medicine at Stanford University. He is a strong advocate for the value of bedside medicine skills and physical diagnosis; skills he sees as waning in an era of increasingly sophisticated medical technology.

In reading the citation at the conferring ceremony Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences said: "RCSI's motto is Consilio Maneque - with Scholarship and Dexterity - with the head and the hand - and so Professor Abraham Verghese - your values concerning the practice of medicine, and in your skilled communication of these as a writer to a wide public as well as professional audience - are values that seamlessly align with our own foundation motto. Indeed your title of Professor in the Theory and Practice of Medicine does so too. We felt your achievements particularly suited and would bring honour to our annual single award of honorary doctorate - and so we are very pleased that you have accepted this invitation to join our special graduation ceremony today and to accept the highest academic award of the RCSI - the RCSI 2014 Honorary Doctorate."