Smart institutions care about tradition – with reason. To have or not to have tradition means to have or not to have the resources that legitimise quality, continuously inspire and, of course, represent an advantage compared with the others. In systems where people are the greatest asset, which is always the case in science and education, those we educated and transferred ideas and values to cannot be lost, especially those with exceptional careers achieved in different fields and different settings. So far, our students and professors have won: three Ruđer Bošković State Awards, five Croatian National Science Awards, four awards of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Vuk Vrhovac Awards, two Ante Šercer Awards, four Orders of Croatian Morning Star, six Pavao Ćulumović Awards, eleven Ladislav Rakovac Awards, fourteen Orders of Merit for Labor, awards of the Ministry of Science of North Rhine-Westphalia, Günter Wietzel Science Awards, Capire Awards, awards of the Government of Austria, two Prešeren Awards of the Republic of Slovenia, awards of the City of Pula, City of Poreč, City of Zagreb, Vir Municipality, two awards of the City of Opatija and at least forty awards of the City of Rijeka. One of our former female students was declared the best doctor in Slovenia, and the other the best family medicine specialist in the US. One former student is the director of the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (US), and some of our former students are also professors and heads of clinics in Norway, Austria, Florida and numerous other countries in the world. Four rectors and seven vice rectors were educated at the Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka, and the last five deans are former students of the Faculty.
Rijeka tradition is fairly opulent when it comes to physicians’ involvement in politics. A. F. Giacich was imprisoned for being pro-Italian; as the head of the Italian National Council in Rijeka, A. Grossich welcomed D’Annunzio with eulogies; L. Lenaz was the rector for education during D’Annunzio’s government, etc. In the last twenty years, the Faculty of Medicine “lent” several of our physicians to politics, among which were one Croatian Parliament deputy prime minister, one minister of science, one assistant to the minister of health and one assistant to the minister of science, seven members of Croatian Parliament, one member of the European Parliament, two ambassadors, two county prefects, two mayors, one president of the county assembly and branch presidents of almost all political parties in Rijeka. Furthermore, our medical professionals are also noteworthy in culture, arts and sports – editing the Sušačka revija magazine, winning first prize at the Drago Gervais literary competition, winning the award of the Croatian Olympic Committee, competing as national representatives in water polo, rowing, swimming and football (winning World Cup twice and European Championship once)… From all of the above, it is obvious that the Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka is an inexhaustible source of people, ideas and potential that we should definitely emphasise and exploit more.
A. Muzur
The MEDRI Alumni Association is included in the UNIRI Alumni Network.
President:
Dean, Prof. Goran Hauser, MD, PhD
Advisors:
Prof. Luka Čičin-Šain, MD, PhD and Josip Aničić, MD