Here at the Faculty, September is a month marked by the frenzy of returning, when everyone, without exception, prepares for the new academic year. The start-up must be planned and implemented. Lecturers, Academic Area, Student Support Office, Communication Office and the Student Association get involved in successive meetings so that everything is ready for the return of our students.
From residents to year 1 students, everything requires maximum attention and a redoubled effort from the teams involved, which, together, collaborate so that all information is available, including timetables and classrooms, the syllabus, and the mandatory procedures for those applying for the first time to the Medical or Nutrition Sciences Degrees.
Everything returns and the wheel resumes steering and speed. Year after year it is like this, year after year it will be like this, since it is the only way we will be able to offer our students the rigor and excellence that characterizes us as a medical school.
Regarding the teaching of Medicine, we restructured medical education , from years 3 to 6, adopting new models and promising new approaches to medical training. The objective is to educate physicians with a plural and synergistic view on the practice of Medicine and thus equip the National Health Service with capable professionals, not only in theory but in practice, not forgetting the humanistic culture of the profession. The truth is that the paradigm of the Medical Degree changed with the emergence of degrees offered by private universities, which led to a disagreement between the views of the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor, and the Council of Portuguese Medical Schools (CEMP). Still on this topic, Professor Fausto J. Pinto did not miss the opportunity to comment on the opening of new private degrees in Medicine to Diário de Notícias, noting that “Medical training in Portugal does not require new schools or an increase in the number of places, because that will do nothing to solve the problem of the alleged shortage of doctors”.
The month of September was also highlighted by achievements and special moments carried out by our faculty. Sara Xapelli saw her work, and that of her research team, recognized by the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), Bruno Silva-Santos stood out for his discovery of immune cells, "Delta One T (DOT)", tested in a clinical trial in the United States, and which could be considered in the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia, the most aggressive blood cancer. Likewise, the regenerative properties of zebrafish, the focus of Professor Leonor Saúde's research, were the focus of interest of the academic and scientific community. It represents a potential light at the end of the tunnel with regard to spinal cord recovery. This was also the month when the first Postgraduate Course in TMJ Arthroscopy and Open Surgery of the Temporomandibular Joint took place, an innovative course that, according to its coordinator, Professor David Ângelo, “allows surgeons to mimic the different surgical interventions in a controlled environment, under the close supervision of a group of trainers”.
Last but not least, September was also the month when the Honoris Causa Doctoral Degree was deservedly awarded to Luís Portela, former executive president of BIAL, and Jorge Alberto Costa e Silva, Brazilian physician and psychiatrist, at an event that took place at the Rector’s Office of the University of Lisbon. The ceremony was full of emotion and honoured those who have done so much for Medicine and Health in Portugal and in the world.
In an attempt to make everyone aware of its greater good, we have taken up the headings dedicated to Health. Since it does not go on holiday, nor does it care about the calendar month, it is important to keep an eye out for any signs given by your heart, as Cardiovascular Diseases remain the 1st cause of death in our country, as confirmed by Professor Fausto J. Pinto to Expresso newspaper.
Did you know that every year, in Portugal there are 260 new cases of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma? With little specific symptoms that can manifest in various ways, this type of malignant tumour was remembered on 15 September.
Considered one of the degenerative diseases with the highest incidence, Alzheimer’s Disease Day (21 September21) was recalled in an article written by Professor Ana Isabel Verdelho, who justified the gradual concern about this disease with the estimate that in 2050, about 152 million people will live with dementia worldwide.
On 26 September, it was time to emphasize the importance of hearing, which is fundamental for communication and well-being of society, as Professor Óscar Dias affirmed.
Ten September was marked by the farewell to a great leader, former President Jorge Sampaio, a man who, in addition to various political and humanistic achievements, always maintained a strong connection to our Faculty.
Isabel Varela
Editorial Team
