The Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has urged newly trained medical doctors to dedicate their careers to serving communities with the greatest need, rather than prioritising personal convenience.
She explained that their training represented a national call to duty, requiring them to help extend quality health care to communities enduring the most critical service gaps.
“I remind you that the privilege of your training comes with a duty to save, not where it is easiest, but where you are most needed.
“You are entering a profession built on service, courage and equity.
Let your choices reflect not just your ambitions, but your commitment to the oath.
That is to go where suffering is, to heal where healing is scarce and to honour the trust Ghana has placed in your hand,” she stated.
The Vice-President was speaking at the 10th Anniversary and Sixth Congregation of the Accra College of Medicine (ACM) in Accra last Saturday.
At the ceremony, 23 graduating students received their Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degrees, officially joining the ranks of the nation’s newly trained medical doctors.
Students who performed remarkably also received special prizes and awards in celebration of their commitment.
Purposeful training
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang reminded the graduates to honour their parents, lecturers and all who supported their journey and to carry ACM’s values of integrity, empathy, leadership and community service into their careers.
She commended the institution for a decade of purposeful medical training anchored on compassion, excellence and innovation, citing their evolution from a modest vision into a fully accredited medical school producing doctors who were serving in hospitals across the country.
A key achievement, she said, was the college’s inclusive admissions approach, which offered opportunities to passionate students who might have missed competitive public medical school cut-offs.
“By recognising potential where others must place limitations, ACM has shown us that excellence can come from combining nurturing with perseverance,” she said.
The Vice-President also praised the school’s use of modern teaching technologies, partnerships with local and international institutions and outreach programmes that extended health care to underserved communities.
She called for more donor support to strengthen the college’s capacity to lead in research, innovation and global collaboration in its next decade.
Leadership model
The Chairman of the Africa Education Trust Fund, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, described ACM as a model of visionary Ghanaian leadership whose impact should inspire continent-wide replication.
Drawing from his role, he emphasised that the Fund—created in the spirit of GETFund—could support the establishment of Pan-African medical universities to strengthen health training across the region.
He lauded ACM’s unique blend of parental leadership and next-generation entrepreneurship, describing it as a powerful example of intergenerational collaboration.
Infrastructure development
The President of the ACM, Prof. Afua A. J. Hesse, outlined ACM’s remarkable growth, citing a rise in enrolment, an increase in student population and consistent small class sizes that ensure personalised training.
She enumerated the institution's technological advancement, including modernised classrooms, upgraded digital anatomy systems, virtual patient simulators and expanded internet infrastructure.
She also celebrated scholarship opportunities, rising female participation, strong academic performance and impactful community outreach.
“Of our alumni, 97 per cent currently serve in hospitals and health institutions in Ghana.
As our contribution to national development, we have consistently aligned our work with the national health priorities.
“Our graduates are providing health care at district, regional and teaching hospitals in the country,” she said.
Looking ahead, Prof. Hesse announced plans for graduate-entry programmes, stronger research capacity, expanded scholarships and deeper global partnerships to drive innovation and broaden access to quality medical education.
Graphic