Why settle for the ordinary when the Facultat de Medicina offers a glimpse into centuries of medical innovation? Let’s step back in time together right here at the Facultat de Medicina. This is a story of transformation, resilience and the relentless pursuit of knowledge.
The tale begins in 1300 with the birth of regulated medical education in Catalonia. The Studium Generale in Lleida marked the humble beginnings of what would become a medical powerhouse. However continuous teaching was not always assured.
Fast forward to 1401. King Martin founded the Studia Generalia of Medicine and the Arts. He envisioned a comprehensive institution much like a modern university. Disagreements between the Crown and Barcelona authorities delayed its realization until 1539.
Early instruction occurred at the Hospital de la Santa Creu. This hospital emerged from smaller institutions. For over three centuries, it served as a hub for medical learning until 1717. The University of Barcelona faced closure. A new university arose in Cervera. Yet medical studies persisted in Barcelona despite the upheaval. The situation was legally murky. The city lacked a formal college and ties to Cervera.
In 1760, a new chapter began with the Royal College of Surgeons. Medicine and surgery stood as distinct professions then. Pere Virgili spearheaded this initiative. He championed the creation of surgery colleges in Cadiz in 1748 and Barcelona in 1760. This addressed a pressing need. There was a shortage of skilled surgeons. The medical training in universities proved inadequate.
Initially, the College shared space with a hospital. This led to friction. A separate building soon emerged for non-clinical studies. It featured a grand anatomy room. Today, that building is home to the Royal Academy of Medicine on Carrer del Carme. Later, Virgili established the Academy of Practical Medicine. By the late 18th century, there were efforts to merge both fields into a unified faculty.
The Academy appointed clinical medicine teachers. Francesc Salva Campillo and Vincent Mitjavila were the first. Complete medical studies became available in Barcelona once more. Previously, only surgery studies were offered. Aspiring doctors had to study elsewhere. Some went to Cervera. Others traveled to Huesca, Zaragoza, Valencia, Gandia, Toulouse or Montpellier.
The College of Surgery existed until 1843. Pere Mata’s revolutionary curriculum brought sweeping changes. His plan abolished medical teaching in surgery colleges and Spanish universities. It established medical science faculties in Madrid and Barcelona. A structured curriculum was introduced for all faculties.
The Faculty of Medicine of Barcelona as it is currently structured dates to 1843. It evolved from the College of Surgery with additions. It remained in the same location. Most College teachers became Faculty of Medicine professors. Pharmacy College teachers joined temporarily. They later formed their own faculty. Some staff from the College of Cadiz also joined.
The Faculty’s early years were unremarkable. Catalan medicine was at a low ebb. The late 19th century witnessed a resurgence. Economic growth marked this era. The 1888 Exposition occurred. Villages around Barcelona were integrated. The Catalan language revived. Medicine began to advance.
Young, driven professors arrived in the 1870s. They were known as the Catalan medical generation of ’88. They elevated teaching standards and enthusiasm. A few pursued studies in Europe. Medical journals fostered internal critique. A new building became essential. It was constructed in Barcelona’s Eixample district, after the walls came down. A new hospital was also built. The project took nearly 30 years. Joan Giné Partagas was the driving force. Bartomeu Robert was a clinical medic and politician. Santiago Ramon y Cajal made pivotal discoveries here between 1887 and 1892.
By the time the new Facultat de Medicina opened, its champions had moved on. Another hospital was under construction. It was on the city’s outskirts. Nearby villages grew. Catalan medicine thrived. The Hospital de la Santa Creu relocated farther from the center. Many doubted the location. However, the college opening its own hospital eased tensions. August Pi i Sunyer founded the Institute of Physiology. Pere Nuviola pioneered obstetrics. Francesc Ferrer Solervicens was a celebrated clinical teacher.
In 2016, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences formed. It united medicine, dentistry, and nursing. This structure fostered collaboration. It improved teaching and research. The Facultat de Medicina stands as a testament to Catalan medical innovation.