THE EVOLUTION OF MODERN PEDIATRICS AS A SPECIALTY IN IRAN

The evolution of modern pediatric education started in Iran since the late Dr. Mohammad Gharib returned home from France in 1939. His drive and enthusiasm were instrumental in establishing pediatrics as a separate discipline in Iran. He was the first physician in the country to occupy an official teaching post in child care and to practice pediatric medicine. Dr. Gharib was the first professor at Tehran University School of Medicine who had been trained by renowned French scientists, and who successfully adapted Parisian teaching programs to Iranian needs. Formerly, pediatrics as an independent specialty did not exist in Europe and North America. In the United States, a corner of department of internal medicine was occupied by the pediatric patients, and these patients were managed by general practitioners (GPs) and internists. In France, pediatric and adult patients were also admitted to the same departments, and occasionally a separate room (unit) was considered for the pediatric patients. In France, medical students could attend the lectures given by the respective teachers in different departments (especially in the departments of pediatrics/internal medicine).