History

The first Faculty of Medicine of the crown of Aragon and the fourth of the Peninsula was created in Lleida on 1300 by the King Jaume II. This was the only faculty in Catalonia until its dissolution for politician reasons by Felip V on 1717, with “El Decret de Nova Planta”, after the War of Succession. During this unstable period, in the University of Lleida took place some important events: the first dissections of corpses of the Peninsula, the first legal autopsy and the first published book about public health written by Jaume d’Agramunt during the ending of the XIV century. Distinguished doctors like Guillem de Besiers, Jaume d’Agramunt and Arnau de Vilanova, that give the name to the Hospital, were professors in the Faculty of Medicine of the General Study of Lleida.

The origin of the restoration of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lleida (FdM-UdL) was the creation, during the 1977-78, of an extension of the University of Barcelona (UB) to distribute the thousands of students that wanted to study medicine. In the creation of this extension, local institutions contributed a lot like the Doctors College, the City Council and the Provincial Council. It also contributed the presence of a second level hospital that was growing with young and motivated staff. Thanks to the Normal School of Lleida, that provided classrooms and laboratories, in the 1977-78 course, the studies of Medicine in Lleida started again. Years after- course 1979-80- with the remodeling of the old building of the Maristes in the Anselm Clavé street, the Faculty acquire its own building. In the same street, they create also research laboratories, a library and animal facilities. After this, the ICS gave an old building of the Hospital Arnau de Vilanova to the UdL (1988) and the UB built, on 1900, the central building of the Provincial Hospital (nowadays, Hospital Santa Maria). All this gave a new dimension to the Faculty and allowed to increase the professorate. In 2008 took place the creation of the new academic area and the Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida (IRBLleida). With this, the Faculty of Medicine can develop and face new academic projects and the research that the society of nowadays needs.

Mission

The mission of the Faculty of Medicine of Lleida is to contribute to the population health by the formation of good medical doctors and researchers in the biomedical field. The medical doctors formation needs to be compensated by the understanding of the biological, social, cultural and economic bases of health and disease. We have to educate the future professionals with an ethic and human behavior and with capacity to work in the health system. The academic activities have to be direct for the acquisition, maintenance and the update of the competences needed for the medical work. All these based on the scientific evidence and the understanding of the health service as a social responsibility. The Faculty of Medicine has to contribute to the maintenance and the update of the post-degree students and also has to promote the continuous development of the profession.

The research has to be directed to take advantage about the intellectual capital to generate new knowledge that will allow the development of the own institution and of its professionals. Therefore the research activity needs to promote, as a priority of the Faculty, the formation of future researchers in the different fields of the biomedicine.