OMU Concludes 2025–2026 Graduation Ceremonies with 129 New Dentists
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The 2025–2026 Academic Year graduation ceremonies at Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) concluded with the Faculty of Dentistry Graduation Ceremony, where 129 students were sent off to begin their professional careers.
The ceremony, held at the Faculty of Dentistry, was attended by Prof. Dr. İlyas Topsakal, Deputy Chair of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Member of Parliament for Samsun; OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın; Dr. Mustafa Uzun, Member of the Presidential Health Policies Council; Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Ayşe Pınar Sümer and Prof. Dr. Çetin Kurnaz; Secretary General Prof. Dr. Erhan Burak Pancar; Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry Prof. Dr. Kaan Gündüz; Erman Ürer, Secretary General of the Chamber of Dentists; Chief Physician of the Faculty of Dentistry Prof. Dr. İsmail Uzun; vice deans, academic staff, graduating students, and their families.
Prof. Dr. Topsakal: "Being a Physician Means Acquiring Knowledge, Building the Future, and Enriching Humanity"
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Prof. Dr. İlyas Topsakal, Deputy Chair of the MHP and Member of Parliament for Samsun, emphasized that being a physician is not only about possessing knowledge but also about adding value to human life.
Prof. Dr. Topsakal said:
"In our history, those who heal people's hearts, enrich their lives, and nurture their souls are called physicians, people of wisdom. Therefore, being a physician means being knowledgeable, keeping pace with current developments, and building the future. At the same time, it means bringing compassion, aesthetics, art, and humanity into people's lives. Being a physician is undoubtedly important, but science, culture, art, and knowledge are equally valuable. We belong to a civilization that has always known how to balance reason and science with the measure of art. For this reason, science has always held a special place for us. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of our Republic, also built the foundations of the modern state upon this balance. Today, Ondokuz Mayıs University and its Faculty of Dentistry have developed within this understanding and will continue to move confidently into the future guided by the same principles."
Rector Aydın: "You Have Not Only Completed an Educational Journey; You Have Become Part of a Great Transformation"
Addressing the graduating students, Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın emphasized that university education in today's rapidly changing world extends far beyond earning a diploma. She highlighted the importance of personal development, critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability alongside professional knowledge and skills.
"You have not only completed an educational journey; you have also become part of a great transformation and a remarkable journey. You are graduating in an era shaped by digitalization, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics. Today, it is no longer enough simply to possess knowledge; what matters is the ability to transform knowledge into meaningful value for society."
"We See Education as an Investment in Our Shared Future"
Rector Aydın stated that, drawing on more than half a century of experience, the OMU family continues to move confidently toward the future. She explained that the university's mission is not only to provide students with high-quality professional education but also to cultivate individuals guided by ethics, conscience, and a strong sense of responsibility.
Emphasizing the importance of educating environmentally conscious individuals who respect human rights and embrace social responsibility for a sustainable future, Rector Aydın noted that OMU views education not merely as an investment in individual success, but as an investment in the shared future of society.
"We Believe Our Young Dentists Will Play Important Roles"
Rector Aydın expressed her confidence that the new generation of dentists will play significant roles in advancing Türkiye's healthcare policies, improving the quality of healthcare services, and enhancing the country's international reputation.
She stated that she firmly believes the graduates will practice their profession in the light of scientific developments, without compromising ethical principles and always placing human health at the forefront.
Wishing the graduates lifelong success, Rector Aydın expressed her hope that the ceremony would bring health, happiness, and success to the graduates, their families, and the nation.
Presidential Health Policies Council Member Uzun: "Our Healthcare Workforce Needs You"
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Mustafa Uzun, Member of the Presidential Health Policies Council, congratulated the graduates and emphasized the important responsibilities they will assume in the healthcare sector.
"To our graduating students, I simply want to say: we are grateful that you are here. Our healthcare workforce needs you. To your families, I would like to say how fortunate you are to have raised such outstanding sons and daughters, such devoted servants of our nation. We applaud you wholeheartedly. I also extend my sincere thanks to the distinguished faculty members of this long-established university who have educated these graduates and prepared them to join the healthcare community."
Dean Gündüz: "Dentistry Is a Dynamic Healthcare Profession That Continually Evolves"
Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry Prof. Dr. Kaan Gündüz expressed his pride in sending a new generation of dentists into professional life.
He noted that the graduates had successfully completed a demanding and intensive educational journey.
"The diploma you receive today symbolizes not only academic achievement but also the responsibility of serving human health."
Emphasizing that dentistry is a dynamic healthcare profession shaped by continuous advances in scientific knowledge, technology, and clinical practice, Prof. Dr. Gündüz encouraged graduates to let science guide their professional lives, remain committed to ethical values, and preserve a patient-centered approach to healthcare.
He added that the faculty expects its graduates not only to excel professionally but also to contribute to Türkiye's healthcare system, scientific progress, and society's future.
Thanking the faculty members whose dedication had made the graduates' achievements possible, as well as the families who had supported them throughout their education, Dean Gündüz concluded:
"Dear graduates, throughout your professional lives, I hope your conscience guides you as much as your knowledge, and your professional ethics as much as your success. I wish you every success in your careers."
Secretary General Ürer: "Today You Wear Your White Coat with Pride; Tomorrow You Will Begin to Earn It"
Addressing the graduates, Erman Ürer, Secretary General of the Chamber of Dentists, wished them success in their careers while emphasizing the responsibilities that accompany the dental profession.
"Today you wear your white coat with pride. Tomorrow you will begin proving yourselves worthy of that coat. Years from now, one of you may stand at this very podium. When that day comes, I hope you will look back and say, 'I'm glad I did,' rather than 'I wish I had.'"
Quoting Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Ürer continued:
"There are no hopeless situations; there are only hopeless people. I have never lost hope."
He expressed his confidence that the young dentists would continue to elevate the profession through their knowledge, dedication, ethics, and conscience.
"You are the future of this country. I sincerely believe that with your knowledge, hard work, integrity, and compassion, you will carry our profession to even greater heights. May your path always be open, your conscience your guide, and your success everlasting."
Valedictorian Gülnar: "The Diploma We Receive Today Marks the Beginning of Our Long Professional Journey"
Speaking on behalf of the graduating class, Cansu Gülnar, valedictorian of the 29th graduating class of the Faculty of Dentistry, said the graduates were proud to have completed a demanding yet immensely valuable five-year educational journey.
She noted that dental education is not only a process of acquiring theoretical knowledge and clinical skills but also a journey of learning patience, discipline, ethical values, and respect for human life.
Emphasizing that graduation also marks the beginning of a profound responsibility to touch people's lives, Gülnar said:
"As we graduate today, we know that the greatest responsibility of our profession is not merely to provide treatment, but to inspire trust and add value to human life. I believe that each of us will approach every patient entrusted to our care not only with knowledge, but also with conscience, compassion, and a deep sense of professional responsibility."
She added that the diploma they received represented not the end of a journey but the beginning of a lifelong career of curiosity, research, and continuous learning.
Gülnar concluded by expressing her confidence that every graduate would become a dentist who inspires trust, contributes meaningfully to the profession, and is guided by conscience as much as by science.
129 New Dentists Officially Join the Profession
Following the speeches, 129 students who had successfully completed their studies were presented with their graduation certificates.
After receiving their certificates, the newly qualified dentists recited the Dentistry Oath.
The ceremony concluded with the traditional cap-tossing celebration, as graduates shared the joy of the occasion with their families, faculty members, and friends.
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