In a ceremony filled with emotion and hope, the Industrial University of Santander (UIS) presented 110 new healthcare professionals to society, including doctors and a specialist, trained under the premise of science and, above all, a deep sense of humanism. This achievement not only marks the beginning of a new stage for these young talents, but also reaffirms the UIS’s commitment to a form of medicine that looks beyond disease to see the human being as a whole.
The Magistral Auditorium of the Scientific Complex was the setting for a powerful message: the medicine of the future requires professionals who combine scientific knowledge with a vocation for service. The director of the School of Medicine, Luis Miguel Sosa Ávila, urged them to practice with “science and soul,” reminding them that each patient is “not a medical history, but a life, a family, a universe.” This call for empathy and human connection was echoed by the Academic Vice-Rector, Olga Mercedes Álvarez Ojeda, and the Dean of the Faculty of Health, Jürg Niederbacher Velázquez, who highlighted the value of the comprehensive training they receive at the UIS.
The ceremony was filled with touching moments. Dr. María Azucena Niño Tovar, a graduate of the UIS 26 years ago, shared a profound reflection: “This achievement is only the first step in a career that you must build with ethics, self-care, empathy, and consistency. Do not fear adversity, believe in the beauty of your dreams, and live each day with gratitude and humility, cultivating a balanced professional and personal life.”
Among the protagonists of the day, the emotion was evident. Daniela Rojas Castellanos, one of the graduates, said: “Being a medical graduate from UIS is a dream come true, an achievement for which I am deeply grateful to God, my parents, and my grandmother. UIS was my home, the one that opened its doors to me and allowed me to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a doctor.”
For his part, Óscar Yamit Agreda Carlozama, representative of the Inga indigenous community, expressed his pride in his achievement: “Today I am fulfilling a dream that I have worked towards with discipline and hope. Being a doctor from the UIS is a source of pride not only for me, but also for my family and my indigenous community in the Inga de Aponte reserve in Nariño, who have supported me every step of the way.”
The solemnity of the medical oath, led by the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Professor Sosa Ávila, sealed these professionals’ commitment to the ethical principles that govern medicine. The ceremony also paid an emotional tribute to Dayber Camacho Ortiz and Ariel Felipe Gómez, students who, sadly, passed away during their training, leaving an indelible mark on the academic community.
The graduation of this new class of doctors from the UIS represents a step forward in building a more humane and efficient healthcare system. The Industrial University of Santander reaffirms its commitment to training professionals capable of facing the current and future challenges of medicine, combining scientific rigor with a deep vocation for service.
