The first ceremonies took place on 20 November at the RCSI campus on St Stephen’s Green, where over 130 candidates graduated with primary healthcare degrees including BScs in Pharmacy and Physiotherapy.

Candidates were presented by the Vice Chancellor of RCSI, Professor Cathal Kelly, and conferred by RCSI President, Professor Deborah McNamara.

During the afternoon Postgraduate Academic Awards Degree ceremony, a further 82 candidates graduated, receiving awards including Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education, Master of Science (MSc), Degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

Professor Mary Dixon-Woods, Director of THIS Institute and The Health Foundation Professor of Healthcare Improvement Studies in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate during this ceremony. Professor Dixon-Woods' evidence-based insights, focused on safety and quality in healthcare, have contributed significantly to healthcare policy, inquiries and reports in the UK and beyond.

Honorary Doctorate

The ceremonies will continue on Monday 25 November with three events at the Convention Centre Dublin. The morning ceremony will see 336 candidates conferred with masters degrees from the RCSI School of Nursing and Midwifery, as well as MScs in areas of healthcare management and leadership, healthcare ethics and law, neurology and gerontology, advanced clinical practice and loss and bereavement.

During this ceremony, an Honorary Doctorate will be bestowed upon Dr Mohamed El-Erian, President of Queens' College at Cambridge University and the Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz. Dr El-Erian, a global thought-leader and world-renowned economist, will also address graduates and guests.

Hard work and dedication

The Postgraduate Academic Awards conferring in the afternoon will celebrate 285 graduates. This ceremony will mark the inaugural graduation of candidates from RCSI’s new MSc in Positive Health Coaching programme.

Degrees awarded will include Master of Pharmacy (MPharm), MSc in Technologies and Analytics in Precision Medicine; professional diplomas in clinical leadership, leading digital health transformation and positive health; and postgraduate diplomas in loss and bereavement, positive health coaching and human factors in patient safety.

The conferring celebrations will conclude with 638 graduates from the School of Nursing and Midwifery being conferred at the Professional Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma Conferring.

Professor Cathal Kelly, congratulated all graduates on their accomplishments: “Your conferring today is a wonderful celebration of your achievements and a tribute to each and every one of you. It represents many years of hard work and dedication. The RCSI community takes great pride in your success and we look forward to seeing where your respective careers bring you.”