Every Medical and Dental graduate is invited to Rites of Passage, held at St Paul’s Cathedral. This is the official Barts and The London Students’ Association farewell for these students, and where students read out the Declaration of Geneva (a modern-day Hippocratic Oath), celebrating both their academic and extracurricular achievements from their 4, 5, 6 or even 7 years at Medical and Dental School. As well as medical and dental graduates, loved ones, academic staff, Deans and educators are invited to attend. 

This page will serve as a FAQ for the Rites of Passage Ceremony. All information on your QMUL Graduation can be found here (https://www.qmul.ac.uk/graduation/). 

Event Timings

• Rites of Passage is on Thursday 18th July 2023. It is the same day as your QMUL graduation, at Mile End.
• Graduands enter via the South Doors at 6:00pm.
• Guests enter via the West Doors at 6:15pm.
• VIPs and those with access requirements enter via the North Doors at 6:15pm.
• The ceremony begins at 6:45pm prompt.
• The ceremony ends at 10:00pm. 

Ticket Sales

• Every graduand is reserved 3x tickets. One for themselves and two for their guests - these reserved tickets are ‘Round 1’.
• Round 1 Ticket release will be open until Friday 7th June, 17:00. There is no rush to buy tickets during this period as everyone is guaranteed three, and you will be unable to purchase more.
• Should you not buy your reserved tickets during Round 1, please be aware that these will no longer be reserved when the remaining tickets are released in Round 2.
• Round 2 tickets are first come, first served - there is a max Round 2 limit of 6 tickets.

FAQs

Ticket

• Reselling tickets above face value is not allowed. Students who sell their tickets for profit will have all guest tickets under their name voided.
• Ticket collection will be near gown collection at the Mile End on Thursday 18th July (the day of Rites of Passage)
• You and your guests MUST show a ticket to enter St Paul’s Cathedral.
• Guest tickets are transferable, so you can change who you are bringing up until the day of Rites of Passage. Student tickets are not, and have your name printed on them.
• Selling tickets for above face value will not be tolerated, and we reserve the right to cancel all of your tickets in the event that this occurs.
• To reassign tickets, you can do one of the following things:
  • Physically give your guest tickets away on the day of the ceremony (easier, less hassle, and foolproof).
  • Email vp@bartslondon.com stating your name, the name of the graduand, how many tickets you would like to give away, to who, and any accessibility requirements of the new guests.
  • Email vp@bartslondon.com stating a refund.
• When buying guest tickets, we will ask you for guest information - this includes accessibility requirements. Please specify in this section if you require any accessibility requirements, and to the best of your ability, what they are so we are able to accommodate (for example, if you require space for a wheelchair, or if your guest requires a walking aid or quiet space.) If you do not provide this information at time of purchase, or if these requirements change, please email vp@bartslondon.com.

Gowning

• You must wear academic dress with the Barts and The London hood, to be permitted to cross the platform at St Paul’s. These are the same requirements as QMUL Graduation. 
• Booking your gown depends on which ceremonies you attend:
  • If you are attending the QM Graduation, as well as Rites of Passage, you will book your gown when you book your QM Graduation tickets. You will collect your gown at Mile End on the day, wear it for your QM Graduation, take it to St Paul’s, wear it during Rites of Passage, and then return it to the St Paul's Cathedral crypts after the Rites of Passage ceremony. 
  • If you are ONLY attending Rites of Passage, you will book your gown through this link (http://www.marstonevents.com/Barts. This includes students who are travelling from Malta for Rites of Passage. You will collect your gown at Mile End on the day, take it to St Paul’s, wear it during Rites of Passage, and then return it to the St Paul's Cathedral crypts after the Rites of Passage ceremony.
  • Those who are attending both ceremonies should NOT book their gown twice, please only book your gown through the QM Graduation system. This link is ONLY for those attending Rites of Passage ONLY.
• Gown Collection is from 9:00am till 5:00pm at Mile End for all students, regardless of whether you are attending both QMUL Graduation and Rites of Passage, or just one of these events. 
• Please note that queues may form, especially towards the end of the day, so early arrival and pre-booking is highly recommended.
• Gown returns will be set up at the Crypts under St Paul's Cathedral. Stewards will be present to direct you towards the crypts after the ceremony and year photo has been taken. Please take photographs before the ceremony, as you have to return your gowns immediately after it ends.
• Gown company contact details: www.marstonrobing.com, phone: 01264339706 

Award Recognition

• As the event organisers, the BLSA only recognises the following awards:
• Student Group Blues and Colours.
• Association Awards (for exceptional contribution to the BLSA).
• Distinctions or Merits awarded by Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, acquired during your years of medical study ONLY.
• Prizes awarded by Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, acquired during your years of medical study ONLY. (Prizes not awarded by BLSMD, or those awarded for your intercalation, will NOT be included in the ceremony)?
• Your Association Awards, and Blues or Colours badges will be on your seat in the Cathedral.

Photography

• Photography and livestreaming will be provided by Gary Schwartz, who has covered the ceremony for many years. The cost for this will be covered by the BLSA.
• Photography, including your individual pictures with you posing with your scrolls will be made available shortly after the service on Gary Schwartz's website (https://www.shotbyschwartz.com/blsa-rites-of-passage), and will be available for you to download in high quality resolution for free. 
• The BLSA recommends looking at previous year’s Rites of Passage albums on Gary’s website, as you may wish to save money on graduation photography by looking at the types of photos taken.

General Conduct

• Guest seating in the Cathedral is unreserved.
• No movement of chairs, or use of stacked chairs is permitted.
• Eating, drinking, helium balloons and group photography are not permitted within the Cathedral.
• Do not leave bags unattended.
• Bag searches will occur on entry, please have bags ready for checks.
• There is no baggage checking facility, no luggage or suitcases are permitted.
• Please take all your rubbish with you at the end of the ceremony. 

Financial Assistance

• The BLSA operates a fund, open to medical & dental graduands, in need of financial aid for their graduation. This includes Rites of Passage and Graduation Dinner. 
• The aim of the fund is to support students from lower-income backgrounds to attend their Graduation Events. If the applicant is considered deserving, this fund may cover up to £50 for the cost of any of the following: Gowning, Rites of Passage tickets, or a Graduation Dinner ticket.
• The deadline for applications is Friday 31st of May at 17:00. More information on requirements can be found on the application form.
• The link to apply for financial support can be found here 

Please email vpbarts@bartslondon.com if you have any questions.