Was it was time to control the number of Medical School students, the head of the pathology department at the University of Malta wondered yesterday.

“Dare I ask: Is it time to limit entry to the Medical School by introducing an assessment process for all, not just for applicants with overseas qualifications,” lecturer Bridget Ellul said during a graduation ceremony at the Jesuits church in Merchants Street, Valletta.

She argued that, over the past two years, there was an “explosion” in the number of students accepted in the Medical School which was “out of all proportion with the resources”.

“This raises the issue of ensuring consistent and reliable high quality education and most pertinent – the acquisition of clinical skills (hands-on training) may be jeopardised,” she said.

The problem of increasing numbers worried the Faculty of Medicine, which published several reports highlighting the problem. “We cannot continue to guarantee adequate exposure to clinical medicine should entry numbers keep increasing,” Dr Ellul said.

In another speech, a newly-graduated doctor of philosophy, Sandro Lanfranco spoke about the importance of working towards mitigating the negative effects of climate change. “We all seem to agree we should tackle climate change but few of us seem ready to make the lifestyle changes that are required,” he said.

The graduates are:

Master Of Science In Pharmacy

Sponsor: Prof. Godfrey Laferla

Monica Galea, Maresca Pizzuto, Janis Vella, John Vella and Gordon Zammit.

Master Of Science In Pharmacology/Clinical Pharmacology

Sponsor: Prof. Godfrey Laferla

Anabel Abela, Edwina Maria Bajada, Oana Caruana Pulpan, Rachel Cremona, Claudia Ann Farrugia, Fiona Maria Galea, Godwin Mario Grech and Chantelle Suzanne Spiteri Fiteni.

Master Of Science

Sponsor: Prof. Godfrey Laferla

Samir Yousef Ahmed Mohamed Ali Abou-Hussein, Charlene Apap, Neville Borg, Jesmond Debono, Mario Farrugia, Malcolm Paul Galea, Alison Jennifer Gauci, Mohamed Ahmed Salem Rashed, Christopher Scerri and Kevin Vella.

Doctor Of Medicine And Surgery

Sponsor: Prof. Godfrey Laferla

Claire-Marie Agius, Abdulrahman Al-Mohaisen, Ahmed Altabeekh, Ali Altabeekh, Sarah Aquilina, Veronica Aquilina, Lorna Attard, Veronica Attard, Christine Azzopardi, Matthias Azzopardi, Claude Julien Bajada, Imed Ben Moussa, Maureen Bezzina, Faraaz Bhatti, Dorielle Bigeni, Anne Marie Bonello, Elaine Borg, Justine Bugeja, Malcolm Buhagiar, Amy Sarah Camilleri, Jean-Paul Camilleri, Lianne Camilleri, Marquita Camilleri, Anette Cauchi, Marija Cauchi, Karl Cutajar, Catherine Dimech, Robert Ellul, Martina Falzon, Marija Farrugia, Audrienne Fenech, Maria Galea, Patrick Galea, Rebecca Elaine Galea, Nadia Gamoudi, Ada Maria Gatt, Clive Gauci, Donatella Gauci, Alessandro Gerada, Asterios Giotas, Leanne Grech, Deborah Grech Marguerat, Daniel Patrick Griscti Soler, Malcolm Marquette, Matthew Mercieca Balbi, Maria Mifsud, Cristina Mintoff, Colin Mizzi, Darlene Muscat, Maria Elena Pawley, Panagiotis-Georgios Prevezanos, Arielle Saliba, Kristian Sant, Ryan Seguna, Stephanie Sofia, Jennifer Sultana, Michael Albert Taliercio, John Xuereb and Adrian Zammit.

Master Of Science

Sponsor: Dr Emanuel Sinagra

Natalie Attard, Joanne Attard Baldacchino, Martha Borg, Danika Camilleri, Brian Ellul, Cecilia Fenech, Anthony Galea, Romina Galea, Roderick Gusman, Elaine Manicaro, Thomas Paris, David Spiteri and Alexander Vella.

Master Of Science In Sustainable Environmental Resource Management

Sponsor: Dr Emanuel Sinagra

Ruth Debrincat, Stephanie Farrugia, Amity Gauci, Abigail Noble Graefe, Angelica Gurulé, Rebecca Hoehn, Kevin Muscat, Jonathan Portelli, Brian Restall, Kimberlee Robertella, Charles Sinn, Eman Vella , Shawn Vella, Mariella Xuereb and Dane Zammit.

Master Of Science In Applied Chemistry

Sponsor: Dr Emanuel Sinagra

Mario Barbara, Michael Chetcuti and Elton Gatt.

Master Of Arts

Sponsor: Rev. Prof. Saviour Chircop

Irina Ivelinova Atanasova, Brooke Lynn Byington, Rubyanne Cauchi, Danielle Teresa Chapman, Jaclyn Lyane Guenther, Karolína Kocnerová, Elizabeth Frances Mc Cann, Jennifer Mifsud, John Paul Mifsud and Alexandra Rota.

Doctor Of Philosophy

Sponsor: Dr Emanuel Sinagra

Ruben Gatt and Sandro Lanfranco.

Doctor Of Philosophy

Sponsor: Prof. Godfrey Laferla

Joseph Borg.

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