"Phantom pain of missing adoption"
On September 16, 2023, the MHH-Alumni e.V. held a special premiere at the MHH: for the first time, golden and silver graduates celebrated a reunion at their alma mater. 107 of them had completed their medical studies in 1998, six others had already done so in 1973. A varied day awaited the alumni at the MHH.
On this Saturday, there was such a buzz of voices on the first floor of building J1 that Melanie Weldi from MHH-Alumni e.V. could barely understand the names of those who came to her at the registration desk. The joy of reunion and the need for conversation among the alumni, who arrived early in the afternoon to be shown around the site by current MHH students, was too great. They visited the (for them) new SkillsLab, romped around the almost unchanged dissecting room and took a look at the former student café, which today still serves as a so-called living room for students. At least as important as the tour of the MHH buildings was the exchange with today's students, which revealed great differences, but also many parallels.
During the coffee that followed, the last guests were greeted jubilantly, people reminisced about great scenes from their student days and showed each other family photos on their cell phones. In the late afternoon, Dean of Studies Professor Ingo Just welcomed those present to the official part of the event in lecture hall F, took them on a short journey into the world of medical studies today and explained how medical training has changed in recent decades.
Representatives of the two graduating classes also spoke and, despite the 25-year difference, similarly regretted the farewell from the MHH. The golden jubilarian Dr. Matthias Krüger described it like this: "I had my last oral exam on 21.05.1973 in a group of four. The examiner wasn't even aware of it. When we told him, he congratulated us and that was it." Dr. Lars Hollmann, one of the 1998 graduates, aptly spoke of the "phantom pain of missing a farewell", but skillfully and wittily comforted the audience over this wistful moment.
The musical sounds were provided by the sextet "Medicine for the Soul", which was formed especially for the occasion around medical student Eluiesa Sina (vocals). With classics such as "Fly me to the Moon" and "Girl from Ipanema", they brought a special atmosphere to the lecture hall and created the perfect setting for the presentation of certificates by MHH President Professor Manns. The day came to a convivial end with dinner together in the Campus Bistro, where more old memories were shared and new ones created.
The MHH graduation anniversary in pictures
