The start of a new academic year is always a moment we really look forward to, whether for students starting a new journey full of achievements and discoveries, or for lecturers and collaborators, who are all preparing to receive their students in the best way possible, so that the Faculty is not only a place to acquire knowledge and skills, but also a place where we can all develop as human beings.

This day in particular, 16th September 2019 has a special meaning as we are not only celebrating the Faculty of Medicine Day, but also the 70th anniversary of Dr. Egas Moniz being awarded the only Portuguese Nobel Prize in Medicine.

As such, on this day, the whole community prepared to receive our new students and celebrate this significant date for Medicine in Portugal at the João Lobo Antunes auditorium at 9:30.

The ceremony started with an institutional video presentation entitled “FMUL Choices,” with a very moving narrative on the journey of 4 students from the Faculty, and the Chair, Dr. Fausto Pinto, presenting all the facets of the school and welcoming all students, old and new. This film was incredibly moving and was extremely well received by the audience.

Following this, the Chair of the FMUL gave his welcome speech, with encouraging words for new students of Medicine and Nutrition, showing that the FMUL has an excellent academic community to teach and train them, and also organises a series of support activities for students, both in their academic and personal lives. This was then followed by a speech from José Rodrigues, president of the Student Association, who presented the Student Association of the Faculty of Medicine as “an open door for all, and that these are years for studying and acquiring knowledge but also for new experiences and discoveries.” He also paid tribute to Dr. Egas Moniz “for his exceptional example for Portugal.”

Finally, there was a presentation from Dr. António Cruz Serra, Dean of the University of Lisbon, who congratulated and stressed the perseverance and effort of all students of Medicine and Nutrition, for the grades they have achieved, and wished them all “a good academic career and an excellent professional future in science, and maybe even…a Nobel Prize.”

This was followed by two lectures paying tribute to Dr. Egas Moniz. The first, by Toomas Asser, Dean of the University of Tartu, Estonia, entitled “Egas Moniz and his ideas in Evolution,” showed the importance of Egas Moniz and other doctors, his contemporaries, such as neurosurgeon Ludvig Punseep, for his research in Neurophysiology and for his development. The second, by Dr. António Gonçalves Ferreira, Director of the University Neurosurgery Clinic, was on the topic “Egas Moniz and Psychosurgery: the legacy of his Nobel Prize,” where he discussed the importance of the discoveries by Egas Moniz for the development of Neurosurgery and Psychosurgery with treatments for mental health disorders.

After these lectures, there was a coffee-break followed by the official opening of the Egas Moniz Exhibition, which will be open to the public until 31st October in the Egas Moniz Building.

The second part of this session was dedicated to the traditional tributes to Lecturers, technical and administrative collaborators, as well as Academic Prizes: Jubilee Lecturers 2018-2019, New Aggregate Professor 2018-2019, New Doctorates 2018-2019, Lecturers with 25 years of service 2018-2019, Non-lecturers with 25 years of service 2018-2019, FMUL Alumni who graduated 50 years ago, Merit Diplomas, and, last but not least, the usual FMUL-CGD Excellence Awards.

After paying tribute and awarding the prizes, Vítor Oliveira, a lecturer at the University Clinic of Neurology, presented his recent book “Egas Moniz – The Legacy of his Life and Work.”

This concluded not only a day of celebrations, but also one of beginnings, a day in which we remembered and honoured the past and prepared for the start of all those who have now joined our family.

To all, welcome!

Sónia Teixeira

Editorial Team