The University of Szeged decided to found a department with rehabilitation profile of the Faculty of Universal Medicine when prevention and rehabilitation are searching for their position within the whole medicine. There are experts in the country who manage rehabilitation as a separate specialization from prevention and curative medicine; others emphasize the unity of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. The University of Szeged founded its rehabilitation department adopting the latter point of view, though insisting on the name of Medical Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Department admitted in our country.

The founders are aware of the fact that within the medical science, which is divided into countless specialities, that the diagnostics and treatment of each disease – as well as their rehabilitation - attach firmly to the given specialization. Without expertness in the diagnostics of different patient characteristics, medication and invasive treatment none of the rehabilitation doctors can be successful. However, it has to be admitted that while a rehabilitation team can work in any field of medicine, their task will be common in one matter: their patient's life style should be changed for good in a way that the danger of later health damage should be minimalized.

The key element of the change in the patients’ life style is the setting up of an adequate physical practice, optimization of their diet and an establishment of the psychological balance almost in every case. Those who work in the field of rehabilitation are suggested to investigate the techniques of how to raise the patients’ motivation. Also it is worth learning the basis of patients’ education which can be used to improve the patients' self management.

The aim of the Medical Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Department of the Faculty of Universal Medicine of University of Szeged is to teach, explore and answer these questions, which are important to all rehabilitation doctors. We trust that the knowledge of the colleagues participating in the work of the department can conduce to the advance of medical attendance to a higher level in our region.

Dr. István Kósa
head of the department
associate professor