A sunny autumn day on the last Friday in September greeted the doctors, dentists and dental hygienists who were gathered to celebrate their graduation from Aarhus University 25, 40 or 50 years earlier.

2015.10.21 | Malene Løvig Nielsen

The jubilee alumni had plenty to talk about, when they were gathered to celebrate their graduation from Aarhus University at the last Friday in September. Photo: Maria Randima Brauer Sørensen, Aarhus University.

The sound level is high as the AIAS Hall provides the setting for this year’s jubilee alumnus day at Health. A total of 170 former medical doctors, dentists and dental hygienists have made the trip to Aarhus to meet fellow students from their time at the university. Even though there is plenty to talk about as the many jubilee alumni meet late in the afternoon, they must first wait patiently. First on the day’s programme are presentations by student Nina Bjerre and forensic pathologist Asser Hedegaard.

Student life at AU in 2015

Medical student Nina Bjerre gives the jubilee alumni some insight into life as a student at the university today. Both the fun aspects of the degree programme such as student associations, the annual Regatta and the medical student revue are named, as are the newest figures from the study environment survey, which give the impression of busy and stressed students. The study progress reform is also discussed:

"I'm in my twelfth semester and it’s taken me seven-and-a-half years to get this far, so I’ve taken a couple of detours along the way. But how many of you actually completed your studies within the prescribed time?," she asks the collection of jubilee alumni.

The distribution of red and green cards being held aloft by the rows of alumni reveal that the majority of them have taken a break during their studies. This is also true of twenty-five-year jubilee alumnnus Kirsten Larsen:

"I took an extra six months. Back then that was more common, either to get a break from the books, to travel, in some cases to start a family, while others did research. I think the students today face a totally different kind of pressure, among other things with the study progress reform," says Kirsten Larsen, who is today a senior hospital physician at the Psychiatric Department at the Regional Hospital Horsens.

An insight into university research

Forensic pathologist Asser Hedegaard presents some of the research being done at the university. He talks about his work as a forensic pathologist and also gives the jubilee alumni an insight into his current study, in which he is examining murders carried out in Denmark in the years 1991-2015.

"Historically, there have always been murders. The aim of my project is to shed some light on the evolution of murders during the past 25 years. That is, the number of murders and associated demographic factors. I also examine the extent of violence involved in the murders. Partly in order to shed light on the importance that rapid treatment has, but also because it’s possible to imagine that if treatment really has improved during this period, then people who end up dying because of murder will have more injuries and the murder will be more violent," says Asser Hedegaard.

The date for next year's jubilee alumnus day has not yet been fixed, but it will most likely take place in late September. The invitations to next year’s jubilee alumni will be sent out in May/June 2016.