226 future doctors from 29 different countries around the world will don caps and gowns to graduate from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) today. Medical degrees and postgraduate awards will be presented to graduands at the annual conferring ceremony in the National Concert Hall, Dublin.

The RCSI conferring ceremony sees the largest number of doctors' in Ireland graduate each year. The conferring ceremony is a celebration for students and their families who have travelled from all over the world to attend the ceremony.

Professor Patrick Broe, President, RCSI congratulated all those graduating on their success. "Today is a day of great joy and a celebration of achievement. It is a culmination of many years of hard work and dedication and it is a wonderful tribute to each and every one of you to reach this important milestone. Your education at RCSI has grounded you in all the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes for a fulfilling and successful career," he said.

An honorary doctorate will be awarded to the Rt Hon Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham KBE at the conferring ceremony. This is the third RCSI honorary doctorate to be awarded since RCSI received independent degree awarding status in 2010. Lord Darzi, an eminent surgeon, currently working at Imperial College London, was chosen to receive the RCSI honorary doctorate to recognise the outstanding contributions he has made in the fields of medicine and surgery. He has made significant contributions towards achieving best surgical practice through innovation in surgery and enhancing the safety and quality of healthcare. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services in medicine and surgery in 2002. Lord Ara Darzi is a graduate of RCSI.

This year, 226 candidates will be conferred with Honours Degree of Bachelor of Medicine, NUI, Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of Obstetrics MB, BCh, BAO (NUI,RCSI), LRCP & SI; 15 degrees of Masters in Pharmacy (MPharm); 12 degrees of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD); five degrees in Masters of Science (MSc); three Honours Degree of Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences; one MSc in Healthcare Management; one degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD).