Branch programme/details

History of medicine is an interdisciplinary field concerned with the history of medical science, history of particular specialties and their representatives, history of the medical profession and development of medical thought, history of training of health professionals, history of public health and health care facilities, incidence and alterations of disease entities as well as their treatment. At medical schools of universities in the world, history of medicine has had century-lasting tradition. The Institute for History of Medicine and Foreign Languages (thereinafter “Institute”) of Charles University – the First Faculty of Medicine, one of the first in Europe, has been active at the oldest medical faculty in Czechia since 1920. Studies in this programme enable graduates of faculties of medicine and natural science as well as of various humanitarian fields to achieve the highest specialized education in this discipline. The Institute, which is the only in this specialty, is the central co-ordinating institution for education of PhD students of history of medicine for other university schools in Prague and nationwide.
According to the article 3, paragraph 1, second sentence of the Code of Admission Procedure of Charles University, this programme of study is offered without specialization.

The entrance procedure must be undergone by each applicant. The entrance examination is held in the form of interview before a board and it checks the candidate’s capacity for scientific work in the given field. The board evaluates:

1. Draft project in writing, extent to 10 standard pages. The draft should include, above all:
(a) summary of major areas of the planned research (categorized within Paleopathology or History of medicine);
(b) brief grounds for the research concept;
(c) brief survey of literature concerning the topic;
(d) presumed resources for the research concept;
(e) draft schedule of studies (i.e. in which particular years the student will fulfill the prescribed study obligations).
Maximum score for the whole item – 20 points.
2. Previous publishing activity in the field of History of medicine. Publishing output for items recognized by RIV can be scored up to the total of 10 points.
3. Relation of the topic to the intended Supervising Tutor’s orientation and his/her research projects – the accord of the proposed topic with the Supervising Tutor’s research orientation must be clear. Maximum score for the whole item – 10 points.
4. The presentation of the project by the applicant:
- oral presentation of the project;
- response to board members’ questions.
Maximum score for the whole item – 10 points.

The highest score achievable: 50 points. To be admitted to the studies, the applicant must achieve the score of at least 25 points.

Each member of the examining board will score the applicant according to the above key. From the scores given by particular board members, the arithmetic mean will be calculated. This will be rounded to a whole number – for the decimal values between 0.0 and 0.49 downwards to the closest whole number, for the values between 0.50 and 0.99 upwards to the closest whole number. The standing of the applicants will be set according to the resulting number of points.

Admission to Doctoral studies is conditioned by successful completion of a Master's study programme.

Verification method:	entrance exam
Confirmation date (of entrance exam) from:	06.06.2022	Until:	06.06.2022
Alternative date (of entrance exam):	20.06.2022	Until:	20.06.2022

Further information: https://udl.lf1.cuni.cz/en/phd-study-programme-of-history-of-medicine

The graduates can make use of the knowledge acquired in this programme in the following professions:
(a) teaching at universities (teaching the history of medicine and health services or basic medical terminology at medical or other faculties);
(b) working at research or scientific institutions (such as Academy of Sciences);
(c) providing expert consultation in museums and specialized archives.