First class of Medicine from Infanta Leonor Hospital graduates from UCM

The 2020-2026 cohort completes their studies in a ceremony held at the Faculty of Medicine of the Complutense University of Madrid.

Generic image of a university graduation ceremony.
IA

Generic image of a university graduation ceremony.

The first class of Medicine students from Infanta Leonor University Hospital, corresponding to the 2020-2026 period, celebrated their graduation last Monday, June 8, at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). The academic event took place in the Ramón y Cajal amphitheater, bringing together health and academic authorities.

The Vallecas healthcare center was represented at the ceremony by its managing director, Carmen Pantoja, vice-dean Ricardo Larraínzar, and the promotion's godmother, Ana Bustamante. This event, the 504th in the institution's history, combined academic tradition with teaching innovation, and was attended by prominent academic figures, faculty, and graduates' families.
The welcome address was given by the dean of the UCM Faculty of Medicine, Alberto Galindo, who highlighted the social commitment of the new doctors. Representing the graduating class, students María Hornero, Natalia Pavón, and Paloma Prieto shared their reflections on their formative journey.
Ricardo Larraínzar, vice-dean of Infanta Leonor, delivered an emotional speech, supported by previously unseen images from the hospital's four years as a teaching center. He emphasized the importance of teamwork, comparing it to the formation of hexagons from key alliances: that of those who have driven the teaching project from its inception, and that of the faculty, who have harmoniously consolidated the hospital as the fourth complete teaching center of the UCM Faculty of Medicine.
For her part, managing director Carmen Pantoja acknowledged the work of the professors, collaborators, and hospital staff who, "despite the high patient care pressure," maintain their commitment to undergraduate training. On behalf of the entire healthcare complex, she congratulated the graduates on completing six years of intense effort, highlighting them as "a class that has indelibly marked us, with that human capacity some beings have to touch your heart."
Ana Bustamante, the promotion's godmother, centered her speech on the pedagogical concept of accompaniment, emphasizing closeness, listening, trust, and a forward-looking perspective. She reflected on the individual growth of the students and the need for medical training to integrate not only technical competence but also "presence, judgment, humility, and a specific way of being with others."
During the ceremony, scholarships were awarded and diplomas were presented to the graduates. One of the most significant moments was the recitation of the Hippocratic Oath, reaffirming the ethical commitment of the medical profession. The ceremony concluded with the performance of the university anthem 'Gaudeamus Igitur'.