Teaching medicine in Montpellier
A 900-year-long story

Quel est le sujet du livre "Teaching medicine in Montpellier"

Belonging to the University of Medicine of Montpellier, the oldest practising Faculty of Medicine in the Western world, entails many obligations but also many joys. Celebrating the institution’s 800th anniversary is an honour and an exceptional opportunity. Having a book retracing these 800 years published in 2020 makes it possible to underline this opportunity, and especially to share the history of our Faculty of Medicine with as many people as possible. This first edition in English makes possible to fill a need often expressed by our international visitors from many different countries around the world who admire our heritage and our history. These visitors are often disappointed because they cannot bring home a souvenir of their visit in the form of a book. This is now possible thanks to the remarkable work by Professor Jean-Pierre Dedet who makes us travel along the centuries in this clear and perfectly illustrated book with more than 200 illustrations.
This book «Teaching Medicine in Montpellier: a 900 year-long story» is the result of the careful analysis of many written documents and of discussions and cross-references with actors of the contemporary period during the last three years. It is a very enjoyable and interesting book, and will be followed by an edition in French. Belonging to this very old University also requires a duty of memory, fulfilled by this book that recalls the importance of multiculturalism at the beginning of this University, the will of religious and/or political authorities over the centuries to support the development of this institution, and the importance of focusing on Human beings in the medical approach, according to the Hippocratic principles. Celebrating 800 years is a reminder of these principles in a modern world where humanist values are often undermined by the rapid pace of scientific progress.
Jean-Pierre Dedet (MD, BSc), Former Chef de Service at the Institut Pasteur, former professor of Parasitology at the Faculty of Medicine and Academic Hospital Centre of Montpellier (France), and director of the French National Reference Centre of Leishmania. He devoted his career to research on leishmaniasis.
Presently Emeritus Professor at the Faculté de Médecine, University of Montpellier and MiVEGEC (CNRS-UM), he is the author of many books on the history of microbiology (particularly of the Instituts Pasteur in the world and the Pastorians), history of epidemics, and history of Medicine.