Congratulations to the Class of 2025

On 16 July 2025, we celebrated another cohort of Liverpool School of Medicine graduates and all of their incredible achievements at a graduation ceremony at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Cue many a proud tear shed, heaps of nostalgia and some very cool looking shades!

The MBChB Class of 2025 celebrated their graduation this Wednesday, taking a moment to salute their many achievements this past year and over the past 5 years with us, including of course a 99.5% pass rate in the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) - the very first cohort to take the assessment as part of their qualification.

Professor Hazel Scott, Dean of the School of Medicine, proudly presented graduates at the Philharmonic with many other mentors and educators from the School present on stage – many of whom shared their congratulations with graduates in a video shared with them on their special day.

Always a special moment in the proceedings, this year the Declaration of Geneva was led by MBChB graduate and Specialised Foundation Programme F1 Doctor Meera Shankar. A passionate advocate for clinical research, Meera has racked up a series of impressive accolades during her time at Liverpool; maximising her network and placement opportunities to earn herself a series of important publications and speaking engagements for research projects that are close to her heart - from the transformative power of reconstructive surgery to empowering more women to go into surgical specialties.

Meera Shankar with her mother 

“Leading the Declaration of Geneva is very much a full circle moment for me. I remember when I joined medical school I used to look at pictures of people graduating and if you asked my first-year self I wouldn’t even be able to imagine that I'm doing something so incredibly inspiring and something I looked up to a few years ago. I feel like I have come a long way and I’m really proud of everything I’ve achieved and everyone who has helped me get to this point.”

Lewis Trapasso, centre, with his fellow graduates 

Lewis Trapasso was chosen as one of the Graduate Speakers at the ceremony. A local lad, Lewis has been an incredible advocate for the School, participating in numerous engagement activities and widening participation initiatives encouraging young people to consider a pathway into Medicine. He has taken his own experience on the course and used this to open up more hearts and minds to clinical careers here at Liverpool. We wish him all the very best as he prepares to step out onto the wards as an F1 doctor this summer.

In his speech, Lewis encouraged his fellow graduates to take a moment to appreciate how much they have grown, ‘not just in knowledge, but in empathy, resilience, and humour'.

"This journey through lecture theatres, hospital corridors, and this unforgettable city has shaped every one of us into the people we are today and the doctors we’re about to become. What stands out to me most aren’t the endless exams or late-night library sessions (though there were plenty), but the moments where medicine showed me both its beauty and its brutality.

On one placement, I had the privilege to have witnessed a child being born, their first breath, a new life, a new beginning. Then in another, I stood in the quiet aftermath of a failed resuscitation attempt, as a patient passed away despite the team's best efforts.

Those two moments, so starkly different, captured just how varied and deeply human this career we’ve chosen truly is. It's moments like this that have helped reinforce to me that this job beyond all is a privilege. And while the next chapter may feel daunting, we’ve already proven that we’re capable, not just of surviving medicine, but of doing it with compassion and purpose. So let’s carry forward all that we’ve learned - the science, yes, but more importantly, the humanity."

You can relive all of the best bits from the ceremony on the recording on YouTube. See Meera Shankar leading the Declaration of Geneva at 54 mins and Lewis Trapasso’s graduate speech at 1hr 1 min.

Congratulations also go to alumna Ruth Hussey who was awarded an honorary degree. Ruth’s medical career started in Liverpool where she trained as a GP before moving to public health where she became a senior lecturer and developed the University’s Masters in Public Health programme before becoming Liverpool’s Director of Public Health.

It has been fantastic to catch up with members of the graduating class in the lead up as they reflected on their time at Liverpool, what it has meant to them and picked out some of their favourite moments from the course. Hint – Taylor Swift at Anfield featured heavily!

Karina Gurung, graduate and Treasurer of the LMSS, said, “One of the best things about the LMSS and medical school is that you get to make friends all throughout the different years which I don’t think is very common on other courses. You really get to make special bonds and hopefully it will last us through our lifetime.”

Maddie Upham, President of the LMSS agreed, “It’s bittersweet. I think I'm ready to move on but I'm really going to miss Liverpool, the people I've met, the friends I've made. One of the things I’m going to miss the most is all your friends being in a 10-minute walking distance radius and just being able to pop to places. That's kind of a very of the moment thing that you’ll never have it quite like that again, which is quite sad.”

Saloma Gomez also graduated this week, “Coming into it, especially as an international student, I had no idea what university in the UK would be like. I've been able to get involved in med school societies, in societies outside of medicine, in sports. There’s always something to look forward to and I've had such a good time with my friends both on and off placement that I've met. I think I've gotten a lot more out of university that I ever thought i would be able to.”

Archisha Marya is about to begin the Specialised Foundation Programme. “I think Liverpool has grown so much in the past 5 years. It’s crazy to me the fact that so many people all over the world know about LFC and people winning and just how big the city is, how multicultural, how diverse. I'm honestly sad that I’m leaving Liverpool. I’m really, really proud and happy to have studied in this city and this university.”

We’re delighted for this fantastic group of doctors. Do keep in touch now you have officially crossed over into Alumni territory! Make us proud!