Pioneer Professors

The faculty which the Department began its activities with in 1954, was composed of 6 elements: Cássio Bottura, Domingos Abrão Lomônaco, Clóvis Büller Vieira, José Augusto Laus Filho, Renato Alves Godoy and José Moacir Tabosa Veríssimo. The following year, three more were added: Adhemar Mário Fiorillo, Beroaldo de Almeida Jurema and José Eduardo Dutra de Oliveira. In his memorial, Prof. Hélio Lourenço de Oliveira states that “they were experienced in teaching and initiated in the investigation”.

Analyzing the memorials of these professors, it is noted that, although people with completely different personalities, they had in common the origin: they were graduated by FMUSP, had attended the 2nd or 3rd Internal Medicine Nursing of Santa Casa de São Paulo and then worked at the Clinical Hospital; initially as volunteers, and later as assistants hired in the 11th and 21st chairs of Internal Medicine. Another common characteristic was that they belonged to the medical staff of the Institutes of Retirement and Pension, the so-called IAPS; which denotes the high standard of the medical service offered by those Institutes. We will present below a summary of the memorials of each of these pioneers.

Prof. Dr. Cássio Bottura

Born in Matão/SP, in 1920, he undergraduated in Medicine in 1944, graduated in 1946, and obtained the title of Post-Doctorate in Internal Medicine, in 1954, at FM-USP. He was appointed assistant of the Internal Medicine Department of FMRP in December 1953. In 1964, he obtained the title of Adjunct Professor and in 1973 received the title of Full Professor of the Department through na examination. In 1969, after the compulsory retirement of Prof. Hélio Lourenço de Oliveira, chaired the Internal Medicine Chair until the installation of the university reform the following year. Subsequently, he was elected to head the Internal Medicine Department in two periods. He was the founder of the Hematology Laboratory and later the Hematology Discipline, forming a new generation of hematologists, who are now active in private medical practice or teaching and research in this Department, as well as in other Institutions. He died on January 26, 1988, still in full academic activity.

Prof. Dr. Domingos Abrão Lomônaco

Born in São Gonçalo do Sapucaí/MG, in 1916, he undergraduated in Medicine in 1943 from FM-USP and was hired by FMRP in 1954. In 1960, he became Assistant Professor, in 1962 he obtained the title of Post-Doctorate Professor and in 1967 he became Adjunct Professor. Prof. Lomônaco was initially responsible for the installation of Central Laboratory of the Internal Medicine Department. He was responsible for the Discipline of Endocrinology-Nephrology until their separation in 1971, when he retired.

Prof. Dr. Clóvis Büller Vieira

Born in São Paulo/SP in 1917, he undergraduated in 1943 and worked at the School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo between 1945 and 1954, when he transferred to the Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine. In 1960 he defended the Doctoral Thesis and in 1969 obtained the title of Post-Doctorate Professor. He was responsible for the implantation of the Diagnostic and Investigation Methods in Gastroenterology, which resulted in the creation of the Gastroenterology Discipline. He died on December 22, 1969 in full academic activity.

Prof. Dr. José Augusto Laus Filho

Born in São Paulo/SP in 1919, he undergraduated in Medicine from FM-USP in 1944. Later, he worked as a volunteer at FM-USP and also served as an Assistant Physician at the Clinical Hospital. In 1954, he moved to FMRP, where he began to work in the areas of General Practice and Nephrology. He graduated in 1958, obtained the title of Post-Doctorate Professor in 1963 and of Associate Professor in 1968. In 1969, he was the Head of the Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, appointed by the Congregation of the Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine. In 1973, he became Full Professor of the Internal Medicine Department. He was Head of the Internal Medicine Department for two periods, Director of the Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing and Director of FMRP from 1985 to 1989, when he retired.

Prof. Dr. Renato Alves Godoy

Born in São Paulo/SP in 1918, he undergraduated in Medicine in 1944 from FM-USP. After undergraduating, he continued in the Internal Medicine of the Clinical Hospital where he became an Assistant Physician, from 1947 to 1952. On this occasion, he was appointed assistant of the Internal Medicine of the Emergency Room of the Clinical Hospital, where he worked until 1954. In that year, he moved to Ribeirão Preto where he became Instructor of the Internal Medicine Department, obtaining all the titles of his university career: Assistant Professor in 1963, Post-Doctorate Professor in 1969, Adjunct Professor in 1972 and Full Professor in 1985. Although a cardiologist, he trained in General Medicine teaching with great satisfaction for himself and his students and residents. Next to Prof. Clóvis Vieira, was the founder of the embryo, which later became the Discipline of Gastroenterology.

Prof. Dr. José Moacir Tabosa Veríssimo

From Fortaleza/CE, he was born in 1925. He undergraduated in Medicine from the School of Medicine of the Federal University of Bahia in 1951. Between 1952 and 1954 he trained at the São Paulo Clinical Hospital. From 1954, he began a teaching career in the Internal Medicine Department of FMRP. Together with Prof. Lomônaco, set up the Central Laboratory of the HCRP and was responsible for a long period, acting actively in the Discipline of Endocrinology. He graduated in 1963, obtained the title of Post-Doctorate Professor in 1969 and of Adjunct Professor in 1973, having retired in 1984, continued collaborating with the Internal Medicine Department , through his activity with the Discipline of Endocrinology. He passed away at age 89, on October 18, 2014.

Prof. Dr. Adhemar Mário Fiorillo

Born in the city of São Paulo/SP, he graduated in Medicine in 1950 from FM-USP. He was Assistant Volunteer and Assistant Supervisor at the São Paulo School of Medicine. In 1955, he was hired as an instructor at the Internal Medicine Department of FMRP and obtained his doctorate in 1957. In 1962 he obtained the title of Post-Doctorate Professor, Adjunct Professor in 1968 and Full Professor in 1973. From the beginning, he was in charge of developing the teaching of Infectious Diseases, culminating in 1961 with the establishment of the Infectious Diseases Service and later the Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Discipline. Prof. Fiorillo, for his combative character, stood out in the collegiate of this School, always influencing the conclusion of the discussions until the year of his death in 1989, still in academic activity.

Prof. Dr. José Eduardo Dutra de Oliveira

Born in São Paulo/SP in 1927, he undergraduated in Medicine from FM-USP in 1951. He worked as volunteer at Professor Ulhôa Cintra's Medical Clinic. He was an internal physician at the Clinical Hospital in 1952. After an internship in the United States, he was hired as a Internal Medicine Instructor at FMRP. He graduated in 1957 and competed as a Post-Doctorate in 1962. In 1965 he was invited to implant the Internal Medicine Department of Botucatu Medical School, where he worked for about two years. In 1973, he obtained the title of Full Professor of the Internal Medicine Department of FMRP. He was Director of the FMRP in the period 1979-1983. Since the beginning, has been engaged in the development of Nutrition Science, has formed a discipline that develops medical and research activity.

Prof. Dr. Walter de Paula Pimenta

Born in Franca/SP in 1922, he undergraduated in Medicine at FM-USP in 1949. In 1950, he was appointed physician of the Health Center in the Service of Venerology and in the Service of Syphilis of the Chair of Venerology and Leprology of the Faculty of Hygiene and Public Health of São Paulo. In 1955, he was appointed to the Department of Prophylaxis of Leprosy of São Paulo. In 1957, he was invited by Prof. Luiz Marino Bechelli and became Instructor of the Department of Dermatology of FMRP. In 1964, he became Post-Doctorate Professor of the Department of Dermatology at FMRP and in 1970, Adjunct Professor. After the reform, he joined the Internal Medicine Department, where he became Full Professor in 1973.

Prof. Dr. Luiz Marino Bechelli

Born in Piramboia/SP in 1912, he finished his medical course in 1933, but undergraduated in May 1934 after a thesis defense. In 1934, he was hired to the Department of Leprosy Prophylaxis, from which he retired in May 1957. In 1945, he also became Assistant of the Clinical Hospital of São Paulo, in the Chair of Dermatology. He became Post-Doctorate Professor of the Chair of Dermatology in 1947. In 1957, he was invited by Prof. Zeferino Vaz to implant and direct the Chair of Dermatology of the Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine. In 1961, he became the first Full Professor at the FMRP. He remained in the Head of the Department of Dermatology until 1970 when, in obedience to the dictates of the university reform of São Paulo, Dermatology was incorporated into the Internal Medicine Department, becoming one of its disciplines. Prof. Bechelli worked in Geneva, Switzerland, at the World Health Organization from 1962 to 1972, where he headed the leprosy-related sector. He died on August 16, 2004, at the age of 92.