A doctor from Gujranwala just made history in Europe.
Dr. Muhammad Taha Cheema, a German-Pakistani medical student, has been named valedictorian of the Class of 2026 at his medical university in Bulgaria, earning the top spot among 375 international students admitted to the program. He is the first Pakistani ever to receive the distinction at the institution.
The title went to the graduate with the highest GPA across the entire cohort. Out of hundreds of students from dozens of countries, Dr. Cheema finished first.
Taha Cheema Becomes First Valedictorian in Bulgarian Medical University History
Bulgarian medical universities have become a serious draw for international students over the past decade. Programs are taught in English, degrees are recognized by the World Health Organization and the Pakistan Medical Commission, and annual tuition runs between 7,500 and 9,000 euros, far below what comparable programs cost in Western Europe. The student body at these institutions tends to be fiercely competitive and genuinely global. That is the field Dr. Cheema topped.
He entered the six-year program alongside students from across Europe, Asia, and beyond. A former member of the European Youth Parliament, he is described as a future cardiologist. By the time his class graduated in 2026, he had built the strongest academic record among all of them.
The achievement drew official recognition from Pakistan’s government. Writing on X, Dr. Cheema shared that the Pakistani Ambassador at the Embassy in Sofia personally invited and congratulated him on becoming valedictorian and achieving the highest GPA in his batch. He thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and the President of Pakistan in the post.
Taha Cheema Beats 375 International Students for Top GPA
Dr. Cheema was one of 375 students admitted to his cohort. The program spans six years and includes clinical training alongside academic coursework. Completing it is demanding enough. Finishing at the top of an internationally competitive class is something else entirely.
Being named valedictorian reflects sustained performance across years of examinations, coursework, and rotations, carried out in a foreign country, largely in a second language. Bulgaria has seen a steady rise in Pakistani enrollment over the years, part of a broader pattern of students from Pakistan pursuing medical degrees across Eastern Europe. Many go on to practice in the Gulf, the UK, or elsewhere. The degrees are internationally portable, and the cost of obtaining them is significantly lower than in Western Europe.
Dr. Cheema now holds one of the stronger distinctions a graduate from these programs can carry. His future plans, including where he intends to complete his residency, have not been announced publicly.
Pakistanis are present in virtually every corner of the world, working across healthcare, engineering, finance, and beyond. A first like this one does not go unnoticed.
