Neuruppin, 8 October 2018

The Brandenburg Medical School (MHB) welcomed 43 new Bachelor and 24 Master students with a ceremony last Friday. The location: Neuruppiner Kulturkirche, former church and now cultural centre.

Addressing about 250 invited guests, MHB Dean Prof. Edmund Neugebauer declared himself satisfied with steadily growing numbers of applications: “Our reputation appears to have spread: the MHB offers practice orientation and instruction in comparatively small groups, specific teaching and learning formats such as problem oriented learning (POL) and TRIK (team work, reflection, interaction, communication). A further element that is unique in Germany is the so called Clinic Day where Bachelor students gain experience in clinical practice one day per week from the first semester. We are pleased with the large number of applications that reach us not only from Brandenburg, Berlin and the rest of Germany but from all over the world, and today we welcome students from as far as Columbia, Mexico, the USA and Nigeria.”

Prof. Johannes Lindenmayer, director of the Salus Klinik (clinic of psychosomatics and addiction, cooperating with MHB), gave the keynote speech with a focus on the qualities that make a good therapist. Summing up his both scientific and practice-related lecture, his central advice for the new psychology students was: “Practise and read!” Prof. Lindenmeyer praised the ceremony as a suitable and appreciative format to mark a new stage of life, when young people leave school and set out to develop their own perceptions and motivations.

Another highlight was the award of certificates to recipients of the Germany scholarship; the MHB had joined the scheme in the winter semester of 2016/17. Prof. Neugebauer reported 14 of these scholarships currently awarded at the MHB, and an envisaged total of 21 for 2019. The grant honours exceptional performance with 300 EUR per month; 50 % come from private donors, the rest from federal funds. The foundation of the local savings bank Sparkasse Ostprignitz-Ruppin has repeatedly enabled the MHB to award the maximum number of possible scholarships. Markus Rück on behalf of the boards of the foundation and the local bank respectively received Prof. Neugebauer’s explicit thanks for their valuable support of educational chances over years.

The event was accompanied by the Berlin Jazz Ensemble, including sax player Johannes M. Albes, MHB professor of cardiac surgery; he had written and composed the so called Psycho-Song for the occasion, and the entire audience joined in with its refrain at the end of the official part. Presenter of the ceremony was Frank Matthus, of renown in the region and beyond as actor, theatre director, writer and also former art director of Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg, an international opera festival.

A get-together followed with a buffet featuring regional specialities. Yields from a student-organized sale of drinks went to student projects and initiatives. The day ended with a dance party, with DJ Dr. M from the Berlin-based Radio 1 station.
A souvenir photo with all new students had been taken outside the Kulturkirche in advance of the ceremony, and all participants received a personal copy free of charge afterwards, thanks to funding from the MHB donors association.