- Initially, the Medicine degree had a duration of two years.
- According to official records, on September 20, 1551, the diploma was issued to what is considered the first doctor in Mexico.
- Currently, the states that have the most doctors in the country are Mexico City, the State of Mexico, Jalisco and Nuevo León.
Within the health field it is essential to stay up to date with the innovations that appear every day but it is also important to know the past. The present in which you now operate has been built from the legacy of other people. With this in mind, it is worth knowing the name of the first professional doctor in the history of Mexico.
In the first instance it is necessary to mention the background of this science. As in other parts of the world, the first form of healing that man used was herbalism because it was the only thing within his reach. For centuries this happened and through the use of plants alternatives were obtained against various diseases.
One of the biggest problems of naturopathic remedies is that they lack scientific evidence. When they emerged, there were no tests to verify if they really worked, but now there is and therefore their usefulness is questioned.
The professionalization of Medicine
Back with the history of the first doctor in Mexico, it is necessary to move a few years after the arrival of the Spanish. From the mixture of cultures, some scientific branches also appeared professionally.
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As background, it should be mentioned that in 1528 the first protophysician of New Spain took office. It was about Juan Lopez and its function was to ensure the proper practice and teaching of medicine and other related arts and professions. It also aimed to monitor everything that was connected to hygiene and public health. Despite his work he was never actually considered a doctor because he did not have a degree to support his studies.
For its part, in parallel, the first Faculty of Medicine in our country and it occurred during the 16th century. The order was given by the Emperor of Germany Charles V (Charles I of Spain) issued a royal order to create the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico on September 20, 1551.
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The man who became the first professional doctor in Mexico
At that time, the degree in Medicine lasted two years, so after that period the first generation of doctors in our country graduated. According to historical records, the first medical diploma in Mexico was awarded on August 10, 1553. Based on what is documented, it was issued by the University of Lérida in Spain and received Juan Blanco de Alcázar.
Other data of interest about the history of Medicine in Mexico
After knowing the name of the first doctor in Mexico, it is also necessary to delve more into the past of this field in our country. On June 21, 1578, the first Chair of Medicine (Cátedra Prima) and said chair were approved at the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico. It was inaugurated on January 7, 1579, being the oldest on the American continent.
In 1621 two more chairs were added: that of Anatomy and Surgery, taught in Latin for doctors and in Spanish for surgeons, as well as that of Methodo Medendi. In the middle of the same century, a theoretical-practical model was imposed that included cadaver dissection.
In 1768, using the spaces, patients and corpses of the Hospital de Naturales, the Royal School of Surgery and the Anatomical Amphitheater or Chair of Practical Anatomy were created, where classes in descriptive anatomy, physiology and clinical surgery were taught.
In 1821 the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico became National. The educational reform implemented by Valentín Gómez Farías in 1833, with six Science Establishments, united medical and surgical studies. With the creation of Medical Sciences on October 23, 1833, the modern history of the Faculty of Medicine began to be written.
While in 1929 it obtained autonomy and became the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). In 1933 the National School of Medicine temporarily took the name of the Faculty of Medical Sciences and included the Schools of Dentistry, Nursing and Obstetrics.
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