Welcoming words of Honorary Doctor of ONMedU, Professor Christoph Sohn to freshmen

Dear students!

Let me greet you at the famous Odessa National Medical University. Be proud that you managed to enter this wonderful university. Young people like you determine the future and success of a country. Take this opportunity and try to make learning successful. You have excellent teachers and professors, but you must take education into your own hands: school is over, you are now members of the university! As a medical student, on the one hand, you need to gain a lot of deep knowledge, knowledge is your capital. But it is also important to learn to think scientifically in order to understand how new discoveries arise and to question them critically.

Especially in the times of the coronavirus – it becomes absolutely clear how important it is for a doctor to distinguish between fake research and real research that helps us. But a good doctor not only knows a lot and understands science, he must also learn to empathize! We work with people (patients) who are mostly in exceptional situations. They have fears and anxieties and they trust their doctor. The doctor must treat these situations responsibly and sensitively.

Believe me: there is no job in the world better than a doctor. And it is hardly possible to achieve greater diversity in any other profession: from pediatrics to oncology, from surgical specialties to internal medicine, from laboratory medicine to pathology. And so on. And the possibilities of use are infinitely diverse, doctors are needed always and everywhere. There is only one thing left: to become a good and responsible doctor.

Now you are at the beginning and ahead of you there is a lot of work and effort, but all the effort to achieve this goal is worth it. Act! Always watch beyond your borders and focus on international standards. There should be no more national borders, but international contacts are your chance! Use it!

And yet: don’t forget: you are young, and your time at university is the best and happiest time of your life… You will hear it from many older people like me… But it’s true! Enjoy this wonderful time!

Sincerely, Christoph Sohn. Prof. Dr. med., Honorary Professor, Head of the Clinic of General Gynecology and Obstetrics at the University of Heidelberg. Honorary Doctor of ONMedU.