June 1 is International Children's Day and maybe that's why this month's edition of the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon's newsletter is about Paediatrics.
I couldn't agree more. Paediatrics is Internal Medicine aimed at ages 0 to 18, an age group that in some cases is extended to 21 or more, in cases of chronic illness. But children's medicine, despite its split into subspecialties, has managed to retain its cohesion, with no dissociation or disbanding.
As Coordinator of the Paediatrics area of the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon, I accepted the invitation from the Newsletter's editorial team.
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The Paediatrics/University Clinic Department of Santa Maria Hospital comprises 6 services (Medical Paediatrics, with 13 subspecialty Units; Neonatology; Paediatric Surgery; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Paediatric Genetics, and Cardiology, 5 Reference Centres) and offers sophisticated technologies such as ECMO, hemodiafiltration, induced hypothermia, all types of ventilation, endoscopies, renal transplantation, among others.
We work as a team, as there is a permanent will to update and innovate, and everyone (virtually everyone) is involved in pre-graduate education. Each school year, we welcome more than 1000 students to our services. And we have more than 100 interns, both from our school and from other hospitals, on specific internships.
Nurses, as well as therapists, psychologists and social workers, are dedicated and tireless. Educators and teachers are also irreplaceable.
From among everyone, the Newsletter's editorial team chose, Ana Isabel Lopes, full professor and specialist in paediatric gastroenterology, Tiago Proença dos Santos, a remarkable neuropaediatrician, and Mafalda Castelão, an intern whose future seems promising.
And also educator Rosário Botelho, always dedicated and mindful, Sara Costa, professor at the HSM School, who is so diligent, volunteer Susana Machaqueiro (it is so good for the Department to have volunteers!) and Paula Belmonte, secretary at the University Paediatric Clinic, without whom we wouldn't survive.
But because, before becoming Paediatricians, young people arrive at University with dreams and ambitions, it is very important to organise the Applicant's Day event, to help them make choices. Madalena Patrício and António Vaz Carneiro reflect on this event. "On This Side" we get to find out who Miguel Andrade is..
Honoured a few weeks ago by the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, Professor Carlota Saldanha, who was recently distinguished with the Fahraeus Medal Award, revisits her memories.
And because the Faculty needs its routines, applications are now open for the GAPIC David Ferreira Award and the 2017 Activities Report is now available for consultation.
June 1 is Children's day, but for all of us, it's not just one Day, it's the whole month of June, the whole Year!
