Memories and takeaways from this semester’s graduating students

Graduation ceremony at Karolinska Institutet, President Annika Östman Wernerson honours the students. Photo: Liza Simonsson

As the buds have burst and the traditional Swedish spring songs have been sung, we are approaching graduation. On Thursday and Friday, May 30 and 31, the graduation ceremonies for all KI’s study programmes will be held. Get inspiration from four of the graduating students’ memories and plans.

Tade at a TEDxKI event. Photo: Private.

"After graduation, I will tick off a few things from my bucket list. I am going to run the Stockholm Marathon and then plan to enjoy the Swedish summer by going on a Midsummer trip to Gotland. Following the deserved break, I am starting a PhD at KI in September."

Any favourite memory?

"There are so many unforgettable memories to choose from. Since I must choose one, I will say hosting the TedxKI event "Lights Out" alongside my friend Katerina Chatziargyri in the Aula Medica. I am incredibly proud and grateful to have been part of the TEDxKI community and to have engaged with the speakers, team, and crowd. The message of Lights Out will forever travel with me and I will face any uncertainty with courage and love."

Has anything surprised you during your time at KI? 

"Actually, I didn't think I was continuing in academia after this Master's programme. During these last two years, I saw what academia is like at KI. Now here I am, about to start a PhD."

Ebba will be graduating from the programme with diagnostic radiology nursing as the main field of study. Photo: Private.

"I’m going to be on vacation for the whole month of June. After that, I’m going straight out into the working life as a radiography nurse at the radiology department at Astrid Lindgren’s Children’s Hospital at Karolinska Hospital in Solna."

What has been the highlight of the programme?

"I have loved the amount of anatomy we have studied. As a radiographer, you are expected to be able to see and understand human anatomy, both when healthy and diseased. Getting to study a mix of technology, physics and patient treatment has also been incredibly rewarding."

Any favourite memory?

"I have made friendships that I hope will last a long time, despite the fact that we won’t be classmates. We made it a priority to celebrate our successes, but also handled the tough study periods together. My time at Karolinska Institutet would not have been the same without my friends."

George is also a student ambassador at KI. Photo: Private.

"The plan is to start working immediately after graduation. Right now, I’m going to several interviews and haven’t really decided where I’m going to end up. There are a lot of opportunities in occupational therapy, which makes it difficult to choose direction. But that just makes it even more exciting!"

What has been the highlight of the programme?

"The best thing about the programme probably is having met so many incredibly knowledgeable people who have influenced me along the way. Getting to share their knowledge and experiences has been invaluable to me."

Has anything surprised you during your time at KI? 

"How much I’ve learned and developed as a person. In addition to all the knowledge I’ve gained, my thoughts and perspectives have changed and broadened in a way I could never have predicted. It has been a fantastic part of my studies that has exceeded my expectations."

Lina has been surprised by learning that a career as a physiotherapist can be very multifaceted. Photo: Private.

"I will start working as a physiotherapist in primary care, at Medfit, immediately after graduation. It’s going to be so much fun! I will probably also want to further educate myself in some way, initially with various courses in for example OMT (orthopaedic manual therapy)."

Any favourite memory?

"There are many memories to choose from. I have been a so-called kollo leader and welcomed new students, which was great. I was also an amanuensis in the physiotherapy programme. In this role, I have been able to support students in earlier semesters. Many great moments from the practical courses also come to mind. In exercise science, for example, we tried many different tests that were both challenging and fun!"

Has anything surprised you during your time at KI? 

"I have become aware of how broad the profession of a physiotherapist really is. You can work within sports medicine, children, elderly, inpatient care or privately. I didn’t know how physiotherapists worked in inpatient care, which was an exciting discovery. KI also has a richer student life than I thought and there is a lot you can engage in via the Medical Association. That’s my number one tip to make your studies much more fun!"