Bhubaneswar, March 8: Aspiring medical professionals, who have taken admission in the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, faculty of medical sciences of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed to be University here, were welcomed at a ceremony on Tuesday with the Chancellor Prof. D.P. Ray wishing them a successful career as physicians.

Welcoming the new students, Prof. Ray urged them to strive for their best to be good doctors while adhering to human values and professional ethics.

Describing medicine as a noble profession, he said it would provide the students the unique opportunity to serve the society by ameliorating the pain and distress of those afflicted by disease. “You have chosen a fine institute to pursue your medical studies and you will not regret it,” he said.

The Chancellor said that SOA had maintained its pre-eminent position in Odisha having been ranked 20th in the country in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) of the Ministry of Education in 2021 while IMS and SUM Hospital had been ranked 21st nationally among medical colleges.

Prof. Ray said education was the fundamental right of every citizen and higher education, which was the channel for career and leadership building, played a crucial role in the social and economic development of the country.

SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, Pro-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Pro-Chancellor and Dean of IMS and SUM Hospital, Prof. Gangadhar Sahoo, Dean of the faculty of hospitality and tourism management Prof. Sitikantha Mishra, Controller of Examination Prof. Manjula Das, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Prof. Pusparaj Samantasinhar, Dean (Students’ Welfare) Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das, Additional Medical Superintendent Dr. Rajesh Lenka, Additional Dean Prof. Ajay Kumar Jena and Additional Dean (Examination) Dr. Rachita Sarangi, among others, were present.