Posted by “A Decade of Excellence in Medical Education: A legacy Shaping the Future”, is a most appropriate theme in celebrating the 6th congregation of graduates, and this 10th Anniversary of Accra College of Medicine (ACM). This moment captures not only the achievements of a young but vibrant institution, but also the boldness of its vision at a time when Ghana – and indeed Africa – needs a new generation of doctors who can think creatively, critically and compassionately.
The Legacy of Visionary Challenges
This season’s celebration will be incomplete without recalling the roots of medical education in Ghana. One afternoon, at the dawn of Ghana’s independence in 1957, the first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, called a certain Dr Charlie Easmon and requested him to gather his colleagues and start a medical school in Ghana. Dr Easmon was startled by that unforeseen request. Yet soon enough, he and some specialists accepted the challenge and began the very first medical school at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra.
That bold decision changed the trajectory of healthcare in Ghana. It reminds us that progress in education often begins with a daring idea entrusted to people willing to stretch themselves beyond their comfort zones. ACM’s own story fits beautifully into that proud lineage of courageous educational ventures, spotlighting Professors Afua and Adukwei Hesse, a couple who dared to build a new kind of medical school in Ghana – one that blends solid scientific grounding with creativity, critical thinking, ethics and service to the community.
To the 6th Congregation
Dear graduates, congratulations on the start of your professional journey. Take a moment to bask in the beginnings of your fantastic achievement. This is the first among the many new experiences you will encounter as doctors – experiences that will shape you, test you and ultimately define you.
The education you have received at ACM will help you grow into well-rounded doctors. However, you must be intentional about absorbing not just the hard skills during your training, but also the attitudes, habits and values you have seen modelled by your teachers, mentors, colleagues, and the patients and families who have invested trusts in you.
Medicine is a lifelong apprenticeship. As you leave ACM’s protected walls and step into the wider world of practice, carry with you the humility to keep learning, the courage to ask questions, and the empathy to see every patient as a full human being dependent on your professional expertise.
Marching Forward
The role of ACM in the ecosystem of medical education in Ghana is truly laudable, especially where learners are groomed to be creative, critical and reflective thinkers. It echoes the key ingredients of all that is best in education in the 21st century: questioning assumptions, connecting classroom knowledge with real-life situations, learning through teamwork, and providing service to the community.
Long before it became fashionable to talk about “soft skills” and “global competencies”, Dr James Kwegyir Aggrey had already pointed the way, insisting that education must connect to real life: saying, “Don’t tell me what you know; show me what you can do”. Empathy, application, and the practical use of what we learn foster the essential qualities our young people need to become local, national and global leaders.
ACM’s approach – blending rigorous medical science with critical thinking, communication with teams, and service to humanity – gives its graduates a distinct edge. In that sense, ACM is more than a medical school; it is a leadership incubator for Ghana and beyond.
Ayekoo, ACM
As we celebrate a decade of ACM, we also celebrate the people who make this legacy possible. We honour the founders whose courage and vision gave birth to the College. We salute the Council, management, faculty and staff whose daily dedication keeps the standards high. We recognise the parents and families whose sacrifices sustain the students. Above all, we celebrate the students and graduates, whose hard work, discipline and resilience bring honour to the ACM name wherever they go.
Again, congratulations, ACM, for the continued effort to support the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of our young people. Ayekoo to the 6th congregation of graduates on reaching this noble milestone.
May Accra College of Medicine continue to march forward in excellence, and may the next decades of its story shine brighter and brighter.
God bless us all. Amen!
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Please note Accra College of Medicine (ACM) admissions information as follows:
Telephone: +233 50 158 0578 Web: www.acm.edu.gh
[Undergraduate entry for 2025 / 2026 open for one week more.]
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