The Club of Medical Students in Zagreb from 1918 to 1941

Abstract

The author presents a review of the 8, development and extinguishing of the Club of Medical Students in Zagreb from 1918 to 1941. The Club of Medical Students is an association of medical students that has played a key role in the student life of the School of Medicine in Zagreb over two decades of continuing work. The paper is divided into four parts. The first part of the paper brings a brief overview of student life in Zagreb, with an emphasis on the financial situation, housing, and food. The foundation, goals and main characteristics of society are analysed in the second part of the paper. The emphasis was placed on regulations, administrative structure, and sections through which clubbing activities were performed. The third part analyses the main activities of society such as the struggle to find suitable space for the needs of the Club and the establishment of the library. This section also presents the efforts to open a student restaurant. The opening of a student restaurant is one of the greatest successes of the Club of Medical Students during the observed period. In addition, it was shown how the Club of Medical Students organized student exchanges, participated in health-educational activities and how medical students contributed to the affirmation of film in Zagreb. The fourth part contains an overview of the activities of the Club of Medical Students related to the fight for medical study reform, the improvement of medical standards and the influence of politics on the work of the society.

The reform of medical studies was a burning problem discussed since the late 1920s, and it was finally carried out in the 1950s. In addition to reforming classes, members of the Club of Medical Students also advocated improving the position of young doctors. The issue of medical service for which the Club of Medical Students considers it does not contribute to any professional development was particularly disputed. There is still not enough literature in Croatian historiography dealing with the problem of the student population between 1918 and 1941. The study of archival materials stored in the archives of the School of Medicine at the University of Zagreb and the Croatian State Archives played a key role in writing the paper. In addition, the newspapers periodicals were very helpful, particularly the contemporary Savremeni hrvatski medicinar, the official journal of the Medical Club, which was published from 1937 to 1938.