In 2001, the new Brno Institute of Anatomy at 3 Kamenice was opened. Classes in the new building commenced in the autumn semester of 2001/2002.

Following the completion of the first stage of the renovation of the building at 3 Kamenice, works on the multi-storey part of the building started. Two institutions were opened there – The Biostatics and Analysis Centre as a joint institution of the Faculties of Science and Medicine, and the Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology Research Centre (FoS). The new premises built at the Brno Teaching Hospital in Bohunice received 2nd institute of pathology and anatomy, which moved there from unsuitable premises at the Children Hospital at Brno Černopolní Street. The 1st and the 2nd Clinics of Gynaecology were merged as a result of an effort at streamlining teaching and research programmes. Throughout the year, Faculty representatives participated in the preparations for the next stage of the Bohunice campus development.

In 2001, 8 full professorship and 7 associate professorship candidates were examined by the Academic Council of the Faculty. All the candidates were approved by the Council and their appointments were submitted to the Academic Council of Masaryk University.

The Faculty of Medicine submitted a proposal for an extension of its Bachelor's degree programme in Nursing by two areas of study, i.e. "Midwife" and "General Nurse" to the FoM Academic Council, MU Academic Council and the Accreditation Commission A proposal approved by the Faculty's Academic Council for an accreditation of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Medicine and Algesiology was submitted to the Accreditation Commission. The request was granted.

In scientific research, team efforts predominantly concentrated on four basic themes in the fields of neuroscience, cardiovascular illnesses, oncology, including oncological bioinformatics and molecular pathophysics of the most serious diseases.  Because publishing activities and participation in grant projects of the FoM staff fall under two different ministries (i.e. the ministries of health and of education) in varying proportions, any evaluation that focuses on the Faculty of Medicine only leads to an artificially reduction of the scope of work done by its medical teams in both research and publishing. In 2001, however, the number of joint projects submitted with the FoM as the author and faculty hospitals are co-authors, increased, after a series of negotiations with hospital managements, to a level much higher than at any time before. In spite of that, the list of grant projects awarded to the FoM is only a part of research activities of the physicians, because they do research at teaching hospitals also.

In addition to the above 4 research projects of the MoE, the MU FoM teachers worked on 13 projects of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, 10 projects of the Internal Grant Agency of the Ministry of Health and 16 projects of the Higher Education Development Fund, 8 projects of the Health Support programme, one COST project, another seven development projects of the MoE, one project of the Leonardo programme, one project at the Danone Institute and one project abroad. The total number of the projects was 62. The FoM staff also participated as co-authors in another 18 projects. The physicians, however, participate in dozens of other projects, in particular those of the Internal Grant Agency, at teaching hospitals.

The staff of the Faculty of Medicine sat on board of 172 Czech and 38 foreign medical societies. The Faculty has 26 and 2 representatives in Czech and international grant agencies, respectively. Fifty-eight staff members took part in the organisation of international conventions in the Czech Republic, and another 13 abroad. A total of 137 Faculty staff were members of editorial boards of medical journals and proceedings in the Czech Republic, and another 14 abroad. In 2001, 435 Faculty staff were invited to give lectures in this country and 130 to give lectures abroad. Thirty-nine were invited for study-stays abroad, and 3 in the Czech Republic. Ninety-nine and 62 members of the FoM staff chaired international conferences in the Czech Republic and abroad, respectively. Prizes and honorary awards for scientific achievement were awarded to 38 FoM members.

In the pedagogic area, activities in support of integration into the European system of higher education were further developed and attention was also paid to the quality of teaching. In clinical disciplines, the importance of developing clinical skills and practical procedures was underlined, with special emphasis on primary care. Clinical Pharmacology was included amongst the compulsory elective subjects. The Intensive Medicine classes in the fifth year of study of general medicine were significantly extended.

The curricula of the first and seconds years of general medicine and stomatology were modified to achieve a more balanced load on students, and to strengthen contextual links between individual subjects. The biology, medical chemistry and biophysics examinations were defined as "barrier examinations". In the stomatology programme, stomatology propaedeutics instruction was extended. The first year electives now include Introduction to Theoretical Biology, Introduction to Chemistry and Introduction to IT, and selective lectures in Embryology and Teratology were included in the second year curriculum. Besides traditional medical programmes, the MU FoM continued with its Bachelor's programme of Specialisation in Health Care, followed by the Master's Health Science programme. A total of 3079 students applied for studies at the FoM MU, of the 2476 that took the entrance exam, 798 were admitted and 545 matriculated.

In accordance with Article 60 of the Higher Education Act 111/1998 Sb. as amended by Act 147/2001 Sb., the Faculty launched several programmes of life-long education that copied the accredited first year degree programmes at the FoM MU. The programme of life-long studies makes it possible to attend theoretical and practical classes of subjects included in the first years of accredited Master's and Bachelor's degree programmes, and the fourth year of the follow-up Master's programmes.

A grant project for the introduction of a two-level branched study of Biomedicine was developed and sent to the MoE.

The evaluation of questionnaires in which students express their opinions on the quality of teaching at the end of courses was continued. The results are regularly presented to the members of the Dean's Council, and conclusions are shared with the heads of individual institutes.

In 2001, the General Medicine and Stomatology post-graduate programme at the FoM was attended by 441 post-graduate students (119 in full-time and 322 in combined programmes of study). Twenty-six post-graduates successfully completed their studies, defended their theses and obtained the Ph.D. degree. Another 7 submitted their theses and the defence proceedings are being prepared.

In 2001, the last seven theses for the "candidate of sciences" (CSc.) were defended at the FoM.

Seven FoM students participated in the first year of Mediforum, a section of the MEFA 2001 Congress intended specifically for Ph.D. students. Dr. Petr Muller won the second prize in the national Award for Medicine 2001 competition organized by the Laboratoires Fournier and the French Embassy. The Rector's Prize for Best Students of the post-graduate programmes was awarded to Dr. Lenka Špinarová and Dr. Kateřina Kaňková, and Marcel Štencl (student of the 6th year of General Medicine) was awarded the second prize in the Master's degree programme category. The Accreditation Committee at the MoE discussed and approved the re-accreditation of all 22 degree branches offered by the FoM for post-graduate studies.

On 16 May 2001, the 45th FoM Student Scientific Conference took place. In four sections, 56 works by 76 authors were submitted and presented.

The Faculty of Medicine continues its study programme for international students in English, which is identical in content to the study programme in the Czech language for Czech students. In the 2000/2001 academic year, the programme had 103 international students, and 27 students successfully completed their studies.

The Faculty continued to meet its obligations in science and education as stipulated in 12 agreements signed with 4 institutions from the USA and various countries of Europe. FoM teachers went on 255 study trips (214 in Europe, 41 overseas). Sixty-one per cent of these involved active participation in conferences and 8% were fellowships. The other cases represented partnership cooperative projects, lecture tours, courses, training programmes and work in thesis assessment committees.

Trips abroad were also made by undergraduate students participating in the programme of summer jobs in foreign hospitals. A total of 23 students went abroad through the IFMSA, an international student organisation. In the academic years 2000/2001 and 2001/2002, the same number of eight students went to study abroad at medical faculties in Vienna, Berlin, Halle and Dijon under the SOCRATES programme. Under the same programme, three international students enrolled at the FoM MU in 2001/2002.

Faculty teachers published 1,064 scientific articles in Czech journals and proceedings, and 404 articles abroad. The FM staff were authors or co-authors of 34 Czech and 3 foreign monographs and 60 texts for lecture notes. A total of 146 popular science and educational publications were published. 

The Faculty of Medicine continues its publishing activities. The Scripta Medica Journal publishing original scientific articles in English is published with a new layout six times a year. In the Acta Facultatis Medicae edition, one original scientific monograph was published, and another 4 titles were published in the Continuous Education in Medicine edition.

 

Recognition of FoM teachers in the Czech Republic and abroad:

Honorary memberships in societies:

•  Prof. Dr. Petr Dítě, DrSc. – Czech Internist Society, Czech Gastroenterology Society,

•  Prof. Dr. Jiří Záhejský, DrSc. – Czech Medical Society.

Medals of the Czech Medical Society:

•  Prof. Dr. Pavel Bravený

•  Prof. Dr. Jan Peňáz

 Medal of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, 1st Class:

•  Prof. Dr. Ivan Rektor 

Acknowledgement of the Academic Council of the Internal Grant Agency for results in the IGA project:

•  Prof. Dr. Jaroslav Meluzín 

Honorary Medal of Wroclaw University:

•  Prof. Dr. Petr Dítě, DrSc.

Medal of Palacký University in Olomouc

•  Prof. Dr. Petr Dítě, DrSc.

Awards for Publications:

• Prof. Dr. Nataša Honzíková – Award of Czech Physiological Society of CMS JEP,

• Prof. Dr. Zdeněk Kadaňka – Award of the Czech Neurological Society of CMS JEP,

• Dr. Petr Kaňovský – Award of the Czech and Slovak Society of Clinical Neurophysics  (Piťha's Award),

• Prof. Dr. Ivan Rektor – Award of the Czech Neurological Society of CMS JEP,

•  Prof. Dr. Jindřich Vomela  – Award of the Czech Surgical Society and Award of the CMS.    

 Rector's Award for outstanding creative achievement:

•  Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pavel Ševčík

•  Assoc. Prof. Dr. Černý Vladimír, Ph.D.

•  Prof. Dr. Jiří Vítovec

•  Prof. Dr. Jindřich Vomela

 

Acknowledgement of scientific work of junior research workers:     

• Dr. Blanka Adamová – Henner's Prize for a junior neurologist, 

• Dr. Petr Fráňa – Krka Prize for the presentation of work at the 12th International symposium,

• Dr. Daniela Sochůrková – Award for the presentation of work at the 15th International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology,

• Dr. Eva Závodná – The Award of the Czech Physiological Society of JEP.