Welcome message

As the director of the Department of Pediatrics of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, it is my honor and privilege to be able to welcome all of the staff, associate and honorary professors, as well as the clinical lecturers, administrative staff, and students in under-graduate, post-graduate, specialty and continued educational training, both national and international, that act as instructors or receive educational training in this department.

 The direction of all academic areas of a university department of such national and international prestige is an enormous challenge that requires tremendous dedication.  Moreover, one must also take into consideration the magnitude of changes that will be required in all academic programs in order to conform to the European Higher Space of Education that started with the Bologna Declaration that will ultimately result in the homologization of all university degrees in the European Union. Furthermore, the homogenization of theoretical and practical programs for pregraduate and postgraduate students, as well as specialist training, the requirement to promote programs of continuous training and the creation of new disciplines that complement the theoretical-practical training and incorporate new technologies in order to promote a more efficient learning of the modern pathophysiological basis of medicine must also be accomplished.

The medical assistance that we are obliged to give our patients must be well compensated and equilibrated with a teaching environment of utmost excellence and the development of clinical and basic investigation in our university hospitals. The equilibrated and proportional development of these three facets in unison in our hospital and academic institutions is obligatory in the modern world, and cannot be interpreted in any other way in developed countries that, such as ours, have reached a high level of quality and international competence in complex and sophisticated medical and surgical interventions, in educational programs and in investigation. Together, this will result in the development of programs with national and international institutions dedicated to intellectual progression and the improvement of our medical acts for our patients and the education for our students.

The scientific method requires rigor, discipline, sacrifice and dedication, there is no other way to interpret this fundamental requirement. The stimulation of our youth in their work, studies, personal reflection, and very importantly, in generosity, has driven and will continue to drive, the daily undertakings of this Department of Pediatrics, because education and health care are elemental social rights that cannot be questioned.

It is and will be the obligation of this Department Director, to incorporate those persons with the greatest potential to develop and improve the academic responsibilities and to always promote the maximum respect for our elders that have given us the opportunity and responsibility to improve, if possible, the legacy that they have left us. Respect, good manners and generosity in the daily work setting should accompany all tasks performed by university professionals totally dedicated to the accomplishment of our unquestionable social objectives.
I am very pleased to direct this department and assume the responsibility of the many tasks that will be mine in order to improve the theoretical classes, the training in our hospitals and clinical and basic investigation.

I wish you a very special welcome to the webpage of the Department of Pediatrics.
Sincerely,

Professor Jesús Argente
Chairman, Department of Pediatrics
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid