A remarkable graduation story involving Opoku Ware School (OWASS) is attracting attention among alumni and education enthusiasts in Ghana.
A widely shared post celebrates 27 newly qualified medical doctors said to be former students of Opoku Ware School who graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
The accompanying photograph shows a large group of young men dressed professionally, many wearing stethoscopes, under a message praising OWASS as a centre of academic excellence.
Moment of Wisdom’s checks found evidence confirming that former OWASS students are indeed among KNUST’s newest medical graduates. However, the specific figure of 27 has not yet been independently confirmed in an official KNUST or Opoku Ware School publication located during our research.
From the NSMQ stage to becoming a doctor
One graduate whose achievement has been independently reported is Dr Epton Asamoah Noble, an alumnus of Opoku Ware School who represented OWASS in the 2020 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ).
A report published on September 27 states that Noble has completed six years of medical training at KNUST. His graduation was announced by Voice of KNUST on September 26, marking another milestone in a journey that first brought him wider public attention through the NSMQ. Yen.com.gh – Ghana news.
The story is particularly significant because it demonstrates that secondary-school academic achievement can become the foundation for professional service many years later.
OWASS and its long science tradition
Opoku Ware School itself describes its General Science Department as having a longstanding record of producing professionals including doctors, pharmacists, engineers, biologists, chemists, physicists and research scientists. The school’s stated aim is not merely academic performance but developing students who can eventually serve humanity. opokuwareschool.edu.gh
That tradition is visible well beyond KNUST.
For example, the Ghana News Agency recently profiled Dr Augustine Afriyie, another Opoku Ware School alumnus who pursued medicine after his secondary education and later developed an interest in combining medicine with scientific research. Ghana News Agency
These individual stories provide broader context for why the photograph of the latest graduates has generated such pride among Akatakyie.
KNUST remains an important centre for medical education
KNUST’s School of Medical Sciences operates within the University’s College of Health Sciences and has a long history of medical education in Ghana. Its programmes continue to attract new generations seeking careers in healthcare. sms.knust.edu.gh
Producing medical doctors is particularly significant because completing medical school represents years of demanding academic and clinical training. Graduation is therefore not simply the achievement of the individual graduate; families, teachers, schools and the wider educational system have all contributed to that journey.
More than an inter-school competition
There is also a wider lesson worth considering.
Ghana’s secondary schools are often compared through examination results, NSMQ contests, sports and alumni rivalries. These traditions can generate healthy school spirit. But ultimately, the greater measure of education is what students eventually contribute to society.
The doctor treating patients does not serve only his former school.
The engineer does not build roads only for his old classmates.
The teacher does not educate only students belonging to his alma mater.
Their education eventually becomes a national asset.
Therefore, whether the final verified OWASS figure from this particular graduating class is 27 or another number, every newly trained Ghanaian doctor deserves encouragement to apply his or her knowledge with competence, compassion and integrity.
A proud moment for Akatakyie
For the Opoku Ware School community, the photograph represents something powerful: young students who once walked through the gates of OWASS have progressed through university and are now entering a profession entrusted with human life.
That is worth celebrating.
But it should also inspire today’s students. The white coat and stethoscope seen at graduation are the visible end of a much longer story involving years of studying, examinations, sacrifices, setbacks and persistence.
Moment of Wisdom congratulates the newly qualified doctors and their families, teachers and institutions.
May their achievement go beyond titles and certificates and translate into service to Ghana and humanity.
Education becomes most valuable when knowledge is transformed into service.
Moment of Wisdom; Time for Wisdom.
Editor’s note: The figure of 27 comes from the social-media/alumni post accompanying the photograph. Moment of Wisdom independently confirmed reports of OWASS alumni among the latest KNUST medical graduates but had not located an official KNUST or OWASS publication confirming the exact number 27 at the time of publication.
