Álvaro Laranjeira draw

Professor Ana Abreu came up with the initial idea and, after presenting it to the Director of the Faculty and her fellow Cardiologist Fausto J. Pinto, the Master's Degree in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation became a dream that had to come true as fast as possible.
In a few months, this embryonic project became a consistent and pioneering study programme in Portugal. So, under the coordination of Ana Abreu, the Faculty of Medicine created a Master's Degree designed for all those who were interested in learning or improving cardiovascular rehabilitation strategies and techniques, but also focused on areas of specific interest, such as prevention, exercise, nutrition, psychology, or communication with the patient, from the clinical and assistential point of view or with an emphasis on research.
In a presentation that marked the launch of this master's degree, Fausto J. Pinto spoke with great affection of a project he supported since the initial concept: "it was Ana Abreu's perseverance that made this project happen, and it's something of which we can be very proud today."
Despite being one of the fastest-growing areas in the world, rehabilitation is now beginning to emerge as a focus of concern in Portugal, but there is still a pressing need to join forces in order to create a new multidisciplinary area; this is how Fausto J. Pinto justified this new educational offer of a Faculty that has been highly innovative in the area of post-graduate, master's, and doctoral degrees. "It's with great pleasure that the FMUL welcomes this master's degree, which is the first of its kind in Portugal and one of the first in Europe."



"If you have a great idea, you should look for the right person to bring it about," said Ana Abreu, the coordinator of the master's degree, speaking about her bond of trust with Fausto J. Pinto.
After more than 30 years of contact with all types of patient profiles and always undertaking efforts in the area of Cardiology, Ana Abreu realised she had the need for specialised training in order to face up to the great challenge of improve the patients' beyond "normal" condition, more than improving the heart, we want to improve the patient."
Always following international guidelines , Ana Abreu designed a study programme supported by a strong teaching staff, Prof. Fausto Pinto (Cardiology), Prof. Vaz Carneiro (Preventive Medicine), Prof. Helena Santa Clara (Human Motricity), Prof. Catarina Sousa Guerreiro and Prof. Joana Sousa (Nutrition), Prof. Sílvia Ouakinin and Prof. António Barbosa (Psychiatry), Prof. Manuela Fiuza (Cardiology), Prof. Rui Ribeiro (Biostatistics), and Prof. Miguel Mendes (Guest lecturer known for his prestige in the area of cardiac rehabilitation).
Because "the best of the best" should open a master's degree, there were lectures by Professors Barry Franklin, from the Beaumont School of Medicine (USA) and Patrick Doherty, from the University of York, (UK) both with approaches in the area of rehabilitation and prevention.

Patrick Doherty Barry Franklin

Now that the presentations have been made, the purposes have been set, the new students have been welcomed, it is time to kick off the first of what is expected to be a sequence of courses focused on improving the patients' hearts because, as Ana Abreu said, "rehabilitating a patient is more than science; it's art."

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Joana Sousa

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