Memórias da Pediatria na Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto e no Hospital de São João

Abstract

This dissertation embarks on a journey spanning nearly two centuries of medical education, beginning with a brief introduction to the foundation of the Royal School of Surgery of Porto in 1825, and focusing on the history since the inauguration of São João Hospital in 1959, established as the new São João School Hospital, and its close connection to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, which still remains. On November 28, 1959, the Pediatrics Department of the São João School Hospital was officially inaugurated, the founding milestone of a path of excellence that would become a national and international benchmark in child and adolescent health care, teaching and research. This dissertation seeks to pay tribute to all those who, with dedication, built and consolidated this history, a modern, technically advanced and deeply human service, capable of responding to the challenges of pediatric medicine. Writing here is an instrument of memory and medical-historical knowledge, based on a careful collection of testimonies from those who lived through the events, along with historical documents and books. Not all the facts could be retrieved, either due to the absence of records or the loss of documents over time. Even so, an effort was made to understand the evolution of this Service at the São João Hospital and of Pediatrics at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, in light of their historical context, valuing the contributions of professionals who left their mark on both institutions. Understanding this legacy is essential to facing present and future challenges. This research aims to rescue and keep alive the history of Pediatrics at the São João Hospital and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, so that their memories may continue to inspire our commitment to better care, better teaching and more humane service.