72 New Doctors: Human Medicine Graduation Ceremony at Hangar-7

For 72 Human Medicine graduates, 25 September 2026 marked a very special milestone: at Hangar-7 in Salzburg, they celebrated the successful completion of their medical studies at Paracelsus Medical University (PMU), surrounded by their families, friends and companions.

Their studies are behind them, a new chapter lies ahead: around 500 guests attended the Human Medicine graduation ceremony at Hangar-7 to celebrate this special day with the 72 graduates.

The ceremony focused not only on the completion of their studies and the conferral of their medical degrees, but also on what it means to be a doctor – and on the responsibility the next generation of physicians will assume in a healthcare system undergoing profound change.

A milestone – not only for the graduates

PMU Rector Annemarie Weißenbacher welcomed the newly graduated doctors as well as their families, friends and companions. The graduation ceremony also marked a first for her: it was the first graduating class she accompanied in her role as Rector.

She particularly emphasised that successfully completing medical school is not only the achievement of the students themselves, but often also reflects the support of those around them. Parents, families and friends share the excitement throughout the years, wait anxiously for exam results and accompany the students along their journey.

Weißenbacher also addressed a personal message to the graduates: “Take care of yourselves, too. Challenging times will come, and there will certainly be a great deal to do. You must always believe in yourselves.” She also made clear what this graduation means to the university: “We are proud of you. PMU is proud of you.”

“Being a doctor is more than a profession”

Daniela Gutschi, Member of the Salzburg Provincial Government, extended congratulations on behalf of the State of Salzburg. The graduates, she noted, had completed years of intensive study, demanding examinations and their first experiences at the patient’s bedside. Yet graduation marked the beginning of much more than a professional career.

“Being a doctor is more than a profession. It is a calling,” Gutschi emphasised. Doctors are not only medical experts; they also carry a responsibility to society – towards their patients as well as in the fields of health promotion and prevention.

She also acknowledged PMU as a place where teaching and research are pursued with passion and where the doctors “our region will need tomorrow” are trained.

What makes the medical profession so special?

This was the question Michael Heinisch, Managing Director of the Vinzenz Group and author of the book “Die Kraft des Miteinander”, placed at the heart of his keynote address. His answer went far beyond medical expertise.

When people become ill, Heinisch explained, they lose some of the sense of autonomy that is often taken for granted in everyday life. This is precisely why medicine needs relationships in which trust can develop – and encounters between doctors and patients characterised by empathy and genuine care. 

“Ultimately, the best medicine for a human being is another human being,” Heinisch said, summing up this idea.

At the same time, he addressed some of the major challenges facing healthcare: an ageing population, increasingly scarce human resources, a fragmented healthcare system and rapid technological change. Rather than viewing artificial intelligence as the opposite of human-centred medicine, he described it as an opportunity. Automation and intelligent technologies could relieve doctors of routine and administrative tasks, giving them more time for what lies at the heart of medicine: caring for people.

Technology has no personal experience of dignity, vulnerability or the finiteness of life, Heinisch pointed out. This, he argued, is precisely where the unique role of doctors lies. His message to the graduates was to remain curious, question existing structures and actively help shape the future of healthcare.

Whether medicine remains attractive, high-quality and humane in the future, he concluded, will depend to a significant degree on their own willingness to help shape it.

From medical school to the medical profession

The ceremonial conferral of the medical degrees marked the moment the 72 graduates had worked towards throughout their studies. Together, they took the Physician’s Pledge, committing themselves, among other things, to dedicating their lives to the service of humanity, making the health and well-being of their patients their first consideration, and respecting their patients’ autonomy and dignity.

To conclude the ceremony, Laura Scherf and Moritz Malsiner, speaking on behalf of the graduates, reflected on their years together – on challenges and examinations, but also on friendships, solidarity and all those who had accompanied them along the way. At the same time, they looked to the future: “Our odyssey does not end today. Today simply marks the beginning of our next journey.”

The official part of the graduation ceremony concluded with the traditional “Gaudeamus igitur”. At the reception that followed, the graduates had the opportunity to celebrate their achievement together with their families, friends and companions. Musical accompaniment was provided by the Salzburger Blechbläserquartett brass ensemble.

Paracelsus Medical University warmly congratulates all graduates on successfully completing their studies and wishes them every success and all the best for their professional and personal futures.

Impressions from the graduation ceremony: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD66of

Graduates in alphabetical order:

Paula Agritzer
Antonia Bachmayr
Nicholas Beger
Michael Beranek
Max Bergauer
Maximilian Bott
Larissa Brunner
Julian Bulmer
Julia Burger
Niklas Chovghi BSc.
Zakaria Chowdhury
Cathrina Dominik
Johannes Donner
Sinah Dreher
Lea Drescher
Klara Ebner
Tobias Esser
Simon Fischnaller
Lotte Forer
Annabel Frank
Mona Geisreiter
Charlotte Götz
Julia Griessmair
Anna Sophie Haberl
Rebecca Hager
Viktoria Haidbauer
Flora Haidenberger
Ricarda Hammerer
David Haselberger
Patrick Hilpold
Paul Indyk
Bugra Kahraman
Julia Kamm
Matthias Lancsár
Nina Lang
Elsa Lippert
Paula Lischent
Anna Losbichler
Hannah Lukasser
Moritz Malsiner
Elisabeth Marterer
Verena Matzoll
Florian Moser
Lara Pirchner
Lina Raschke
Hannah Rau
Dakota Reich
Elisabeth Reinisch
Johanna Roessner
Lea Rothermund
Oliver Ruatti
Valentin Rüscher
Luca Russegger
Tobias Salzmann
Chiara-Katrin Schäfer
Laura Scherf
Patrick Schmid
Anna Lucia Seibold
Peter Seidinger
Sanela Singer
Mariia Soliak
Konstantin Stäblein
Claudia Stadler
Jakob Stübler
Jonas Stündl
Maria Swittalek
Nicole Tomas
Maja Vidovic
Clara Volgger
David Weber
Elisa Zardini
Christoph Zink