Ateneo - UPO

Provide knowledge relating to the historical path of medicine, useful for a reading of the current health situation and for the creation of operational models in medical practice.

Conforti M, Corbellini G, Gazzaniga V- Dalla cura alla scienza - EncycloMedia 2011

Cosmacini G - L'arte lunga. Storia della Medicina dall'Antichità ad oggi - Laterza 2011 


The aim is to provide the necessary knowledge to understand the development of medical science from the beginnings of Western civilization to the present day: the concept of disease throughout the centuries, the advancements in surgical sciences, and finally, the principles of therapy development from Galenic medicine to the introduction of sulfonamides, antibiotics, and antivirals.

The history of science is a relatively young discipline, having reached full maturity only in the twentieth century. It is a multifaceted and dynamic field, characterized by innovation and a propensity for experimentation, while evolving rapidly due to the continuous expansion of perspectives and the refinement of research methods. Furthermore, we will explore the key features of various 'revolutions' in the physical, medical, and biological fields, to underscore the importance of cultural frameworks grounded in robust scientific foundations and profound humanistic values, which are cultivated through an understanding of scientific evolution.

historical knowledge acquired in pre-university school years and biomedical skills acquired in previous years of the course of studies in Medicine and Surgery are required.

frontal lessons

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request
specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse
e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services students-physical-or-learning-disabilities
Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted
the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination
modalities, concerning academic aspects.

Written examination. The test involves a question concerning a topic among those carried out throughout the program.

Definition of medicine and the origins of man’s role of the history of medicine. From instinctive medicine to conventional medicine. In the Greek-Roman classic world. Contagiously transmitted medicine. European Middle Ages and the study of Medicine in Universities. Science revolution of the Renaissance. 
In the century of Galileo and Baroque medicine. Medicine in the Age of Light. Towards New Conceptions of illness. Contradictions spanning two centuries. 
Nineteenth-century hospitals and places of care. Heading towards the safety in surgery. The conquest of microbial theory. In the new dimension of biological knowledge. The rapport between the clinics and the labs. The social and health organization commitment. The victorious pathways of the clinic in the diagnosis and therapy. Within and outside the boundaries of medicine: mental illness since the mid-twentieth century

Historical dimensions and specific language related to the training topics in medical fields besides the use of pedagogical methodology for the development of the doctor-patient relationship.