On August 9, 1822, the Faculty of Medicine began to function in Buenos Aires.
Until that moment, there was no organic and official teaching that dealt with health issues.
There was only the so-called “Medical School of Protomedicato” inaugurated by Viceroy Vertiz in 1780 and recognized by Spain two decades later.
Its activity began to languish and to run out of students following the May Revolution, which meant the end of its financing by the Spanish crown.
In May 1813, the General Constituent Assembly created the “Military Medical Institute”, whose purpose was to prepare surgeons to assist the armies of the Homeland.
Under the government of Martín Rodríguez and on the initiative of Bernardino Rivadavia, the University of Buenos Aires was created on August 12, 1821; thus beginning a flourishing stage for local medicine.
Shortly following, the cessation of the Military Institute was decreed and its personnel became part of the Department of Medicine of the new house of higher studies.
In its beginnings, the Faculty had its first headquarters in San Telmo and was organized into three chairs: Medical Institutions, Surgical Institutions and Medical and Surgical Clinic.
Thus, between 1827, the year in which the first students graduated, and 1834, 60 doctors obtained their diploma.
After the fall of Juan Manuel de Rosas in 1852, the Faculty of Medicine was separated from the University, becoming dependent on the government of the Province of Buenos Aires until 1874.
A few years later, the new “Hospital de Buenos Aires” was inaugurated on Córdoba Street, which was handed over to the Faculty of Medicine and, following the federalization of the city, was renamed “Hospital de Clínicas”.
In 1895, the faculty changed its headquarters and began operating in a building located on the same street and right in front of the hospital.
During the first years of the 20th century, the number of students enrolled in the Medicine career grew so rapidly that it was necessary to move the faculty to the imposing building it currently occupies and which was inaugurated in 1908 by President Figueroa Alcorta.
Currently, and due to its academic quality, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires receives thousands of students from all over the country and abroad, from which more than a thousand professionals graduate per year.
On August 9, 1822, the Faculty of Medicine began to function in Buenos Aires.
The story is also news on Radio Profile. Voice by Pita Fortín and screenplay by Javier Pasaragua.
