On Saturday March 11th 2017, the French Medical Institute for Mothers & Children (FMIC) had the pleasure to see 14 of its Post Graduate Medical Education (PGME) residents being graduated, including 3 ladies specializing in paediatric surgery and clinical pathology.

Special guests attended the ceremony to congratulate the residents for all their work and efforts, such as Mr Firoz Rasul, President of Aga Khan University, H.E. Mr Kenneth Neufeld, Ambassador of Canada to Afghanistan, H.E. Mrs Nurjehan Mawani, Aga Khan Development Network’s Diplomatic Representative, Mr. Airy Quilleré, Counsellor from Embassy of France to Afghanistan and Dr. Eric Cheysson, President of La Chaîne de l’Espoir.
Their speeches were full of encouragement to the 14 new specialized doctors who represent the future of the medical field in Afghanistan.

At the end of the ceremony, one of the ladies graduates came on the stage to give her vote of thanks on behalf of the graduates to all the invitees. She expressed their feelings as their 4 years of residency are successfully done and specially thanked all the graduates families for their unconditional support during this period of time. 

The Post Graduate Medical Education is run by the French Medical Institute for Mothers & Children with the assistance from the Governments of Canada and France, who are committed to improving access to healthcare, particularly for women, newborns and children. The graduates went through a programme accredited by the Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health and the Aga Khan University’s Department of Postgraduate Medical Education.

PGME residencies are now offered in 7 disciplines: paediatric surgery, paediatric medicine, anaesthesiology, cardiology, othopaedics, pathology and radiology. By 2020, programmes in paediatric intensive care, cardiac surgery and obstetrics & gynaecology will have been added.

The successful postdoctoral training reflects the place that FMIC has, and will have even more in the future for the entire country, in the training process of Afghan medicine.
This graduation day was more than just a ceremony. It was a symbol for Afghanistan today and tomorrow, it was a message of hope.