Objectives of the course: History of Medicine (HM) provides a framework in which students at all levels can examine the development of medicine in relationship with society.

Contents of the course- Mode and outcomes of teaching: Students are coming into contact with a wide range of issues in the past for their own sake and their relevance to the present. These topics include Medicine in Praehistoric times, in Antiquity (Minoan, Mycenian, prae Hippocratic, Hippocratic, Hellenistic, Galenic and Greco-roman Medicine), in China, India and in Byzantium. Students are also coming in contact with Arabic Medicine, European Medicine in Medieval times and the Renaissance. Finally the major achievements of Medicine in the 19th and 20th century, mainly the fight against epidemics and infections is included in their curriculum.

HM is engaged with research and teaching in the history of medicine, the life sciences, public health and ethics in Medicine; prepares students for a better understanding of the world in which we live as well as for a wide variety of careers, including medicine, public health, academic life, museum work, and public service. The HM seeks to bridge the gap that still exists between the sciences and the humanities.
It is fortunate to possess excellent research facilities with a historical library which holds several hundreds of medical books focusing mainly on Medicine of the 19th and early 20th century. The University also houses important manuscripts and papers.

A major Museum of History of Medicine, the first and biggest one in Greece houses a big variety of exhibiting items including ancient Greek and Roman coins with medical subjects, 2.500 surgical tools from the 1st c. BC to our time. A vast variety of cast replicas depicting ancient medical personalities and medical healing scenes, a small chapel with 65 male and 12 female sainted physicians, an immense pharmacy with pharmaceutical preparations from herbs to τηε medicaments of today, two whole surgical/gynaecological operation theaters, and three complete dental cabinets from the late 19th c., the 1950ies and 2000, as also a huge collection of stamps with medical subjects.

Hours of training per student: 26

Semester: 1st

ECTS: 2