Celebrating the graduates of the University Master's programs in Health Sciences & Leadership and Palliative Care

19 Master's students from the Health Sciences & Leadership program and forty-three from the Palliative Care program recently celebrated the successful completion of their studies. The diplomas were awarded in a festive ceremony on July 4th at the Jörg Rehn Auditorium of Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU) in Salzburg.

Dr. Christiane Pedit, Chancellor of the PMU, warmly congratulated the graduates and emphasized the important role of strategic partners—University Hospital Salzburg and AUVA, as well as St. Virgil Salzburg and the Hospice Austria umbrella organization—in the success of these two university programs. Univ.-Prof. Christian Pirich, Vice-Rector for Studies and Teaching at PMU and Medical Director of University Hospital Salzburg, praised the two programs as "essential components of PMU's extensive study portfolio."

In her address, Mag. Barbara Schwarz, President of Hospice Austria, stated: "I find it wonderful that a Leadership program and a Palliative Care program are celebrating together, and I hope that you will reach out to each other, learn from one another, and listen to each other." She stressed the importance of ensuring that the compassionate attitude needed to care for seriously ill and dying people is carried into the institutions and met with understanding there. For this, collaboration and interprofessionalism are crucial, values already lived within these programs.

Mag. Jakob Reichenberger, Director of St. Virgil Salzburg, underscored the transformative power of education, saying, "We see the ripple effects of learning—not just in the classroom but in the lives of those students touch, especially those in the most vulnerable stages of life."

Burkhard van der Vorst from the University Hospital Salzburg conveyed congratulations from SALK Managing Directors Dr. Silvia Lechner and Dr. Thomas Gamsjäger. As a pioneer of the Health Sciences & Leadership program, he emphasized: "The graduates of the Health Sciences & Leadership program are making a difference and are noticeable within the organization."

In his inspiring keynote speech titled "Believing is Not Knowing – Why Science and Evidence-Based Practice are Essential in Healthcare," Ass.-Prof. Andre Ewers, a nursing expert in the Nursing Directorate of University Hospital Salzburg, explained why relying solely on "common sense" is insufficient, and that science starts with small steps—observing and asking questions. He emphasized: "You contribute to improving health and a better quality of life, alleviating and perhaps even curing ailments. But your interventions must be grounded in solid, evidence-based knowledge." Ewers wished the graduates fulfillment in their careers and encouraged them to take joy in gathering, organizing, analyzing, and generating knowledge.

• To the photo gallery of the academic ceremony vom 04.07.2024: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paracelsusuniversitaet/albums/72177720318470236