The way we conceive and structure each edition of the Newsletter results, hopefully, in the registering of the most significant moments of our life together in a vast community such as the University of Lisbon. We perceive it better and with more hindsight when we go through past editions.

Accordingly, when in months or years to come, we re-read this edition, and the latest ones, we surely will not fail to see the present as a time of change at the University and in academia in general, which goes hand in hand with changes in society, some of which are cyclical and disturbing (i.e. budget cuts in higher education institutions, cuts in the social welfare provided to students, and cuts in scientific research), while others denote the improvement in the services offered by the University.

The report on the Employability of UL Graduates gives us greater insight into the lives of our graduates and enables us to have a better understanding of their professional status 18 months (2008/09) and 12 months (2009/10) after completion of their studies, respectively.
Another study on the Evolution of the Access to the Medical Degree over the last ten years highlights a situation that affects us particularly.

As for listening to the UL, and, in our particular case, FMUL, look up, on the one hand, the statement made by the Rector of the UL, Professor A. Sampaio da Nóvoa, on the times we are going through as part of the merger between UL and UTL, and, on the other, the recent interview with the Director of FMUL, Professor Fernandes e Fernandes, in newspaper Público titled Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon: training health professionals.

Let us look further at the much awaited first moments of the Biobank-IMM in the article Public Presentation Session of the Biobank-IMM.
The video on the Introduction Week at FMUL 2012/2013 allows us to have a better understanding of the work that brought together people from the entire institution, particularly non-teaching staff, who successfully gave a warm welcome to new students. If students are the raison d’être of a university and what conveys it a life of its own, the often invisible work carried out by non-teaching staff adds quality to the academic lives of students.

As we have been doing for a long time, in each issue we focus on one structural unit of FMUL. On this occasion, we bring to you the Pulmonology University Clinic. The interview with its Director, Professor Bugalho de Almeida is, in all respects, a statement which we strongly recommend, both for what it reveals of the history of our institution and identity in the universe of FMUL / HSM, and also as a testimony of the changes in medicine and health that have taken place in Portugal in recent decades.

It is not easy for us to differentiate among articles that, without exception, we find particularly interesting. It will not be immodest of us to believe that the perusal of this issue will result in a better understanding of our common home.

We could not end without asking you to fill the FMUL Newsletter Assessment Questionnaire, as by doing so you will help us improve our publication.

Have a nice reading!
The Editorial Team
news@fm.ul.pt