The image shows surgical and gynaecological instruments used by ancient Egyptians over 3000-5000 years BC. It explains how advanced medicine at that time, scalpels, forceps, curettes were known and what we use as surgical instruments date back to ancient Egyptians designs. The question is, do you have a history of medicine in your medical/health curricula? What are the objectives of this component? And how do you integrate this part to other elements in the curriculum?
Yes. It should be necessary to teach history in medical curriculum. It will be helpful to understand the concept and scope of medicine and surgical education.
"Whoever has no past has no future either." History of medicine is a neglected topic in many medical schools.
Of course it is obvious that teaching the medical heritage of different human civilizations will boost our future development.
Thanks for the question on this relevant topic.
Thank you, Dr Ali, for your response. But let me share with you the picture I placed from a temple in Egypt, is studied by universities in the USA, Germany, France and others because of their significance in surgery. The principles on which they created these instruments is still more or less the principles on which we established modern forceps, scalpels, and other surgical instruments. Why are the universities in the Middle East so behind even from studying their past civilisations?
Yes. It should be necessary to teach history in medical curriculum. It will be helpful to understand the concept and scope of medicine and surgical education.
Long before Egyptians or Greeks knew about medicine and mathematics, Indian Sages and Sheers had vast knowledge. The reason that is not discussed is racial hate and bias. Both Christian and Muslim community compete with and against each other for religious bias, it this that Hindus and everything that Hindus knew or would do has not been promoted. Now to give a glimpse of what I have asserted, today, Western medicine is re-discovering about dietary vegetable fibre that has been a staple food for ancient Indians.
Sushrut is a well known ancient Indian physician even Western plastic surgeons follow his technique of rhinoplasty. But Indian texts are not quoted. It is high time that we learn to shed our folly of ignorance and learn everything without bias. Regards and malice against none.
Learning the history of medicine will give a deep insight whereby the students will learn to discover newer techniques and invent methods by which mankind can benefit from. I love to peruse the history of medicine. It is by this method, I re-discovered to use "Ambient Air" in operative laparoscopy with better results than by using the current global practice of CO2 for pneumoperitoneum. Had I not read the history of development of the operating laparoscopy technique, I would have never done it and my vast number of patients would have remained deprived of the benefit of laparoscopy surgery. Problem is that the current breed of teachers and trainers themselves are not familiar with these academic exercises. Most of them are busy in minting money only and has been tuned to work like robots.
Mohamad Moussa,
Thank you for your kind endorsement of my humble truthful note. Regards,
Are you from Palestine and worked with me in Zedda?
'History of Medicine' should be taught in medical schools because it places a perspective on technology and techniques that we currently use, and their historical background.
It also inform us of the development and rationale and the logical premise on which the therapy was based.
It is useful to know that all that is new and in vogue, may not stand the test of time, and prevents dogmatism in the practice of medicine.
The university I did my medical degree in, made it compulsory for all medical students to also study 3 years of art subjects.
I studied the 'History of Medicine' and ' Philosophy of Science'.
I think the 'Philosophy of Science' should also be taught in all medical curricula.
Of course! We must know & love the legacy of our discipline which will encourage us for dedication & commitment to the humanity.
Not only the history of medicine as practiced today should be studies and taught, but the history of human civilisation should also be included to enlighten the students and teachers that will give a glimpse of human civilisation and its impact on such issues like medicine too. In ancient era, the ppl in Middle-East nations used to travel to India for its geographical neighbourhood and study the knowledge derived by ancient Sages and Seers. Those days, there was no religious bars as we see today whereby things are looked at from faith prism b4 accepting them. Give you an example, spices used in cooking are nothing less than the herbal medicines. There ought to be some research on these ingredients because they are highly beneficial ingredients in our daily use in life and prevent us from a lot of diseases in long term.
Recently some articles have appeared in Western medical literature about role of vegetable fibre in human diet and another is on "Intermittent fasting" and its usefulness in our healthy living. I was amused because both these practices have been followed for a long time in India. But it did not have a Western stamp. Hence it was unscientific and denied its benefits to the larger masses. Sorry friends for a little long comment but it is needed for larger usefulness and benefit of human society at large.
Yes, it is very important, so that doctors know the stages of development and growth of this science, and benefit from every stage that has passed through it, as it will serve as the roots for the rest of the branches.
The history of each science must be taught, because it is very important for the student to understand this science.
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