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PII: S0307-4412(96)00160-4 Teaching of Biochemistry in Integrated Curricula: Experiences in Hungary GASPAR BANFALVI Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry Semmelweis University Medical School 1088 Budapest Hungary Introduction A historical perspective of teaching Biochemistry in Hungary starting during the Austrian-Hungarian Empire will be given. The next episodes cover the periods between the two World Wars, the period of the Cold War and recent developments. Integration and interdisciplinarity will be discussed in terms of what should be included in the lecture material and what can be borrowed from other closely related subjects without excessive overlapping. Finally, differences among Hungarian Medical Universities will be pointed out. Historical Perspective: Development of Physiological Chemistry (Biochemistry) Experimental Physiology started in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 18th century Chemistry, and in the second half of the 19th century Physiology, became independent sciences. The last quarter of the 19th century gave birth to Physiological Chemistry. Contribution to the development of Physiological Chemistry is landmarked by Dalton (1804), Gay-Lussac (1810), W(3hler (1828), Liebig (1830-40), Payen and Pearson (1833), Berzelius (1837), Mulder (1838), Mayer (1842), and milestones in the teaching of Physiological Chemistry included: 1826 Htinefeld: Physiologische Chemie (book); 1840 W6hler translated the book of Berzelius: Lehrbuch der Chemie (Textbook of Chemistry. Chapter 9: The Chemistry of Body Fluids); 1844 Mulder and Marchaud: Physiologische Chemie (book); 1846 Liebig: Tier-Chemie oder die Organische Chemie (Animal-Chemistry or Organic Chemistry); 1877 Hoppe-Seyler: Zeitschrift fftr Physiologische Chemie (the journal now known as Biochemistry Hoppe-Seyler). Biochemistry grew out of Physiology in the third quarter of the 19th century. The establishment of the first biochemical journal (by Hoppe-Seyler in 1877) might be taken as the beginning of Biochemistry, although at that time it was called Physiological Chemistry. Hoppe-Seyler suggested dividing Physiology into Biophysics and PhysioBIOCHEMICAL EDUCATION 25(2) 1997
logical Chemistry. However, there was strong resistance and Pf0ger took the lead against the 'destructive forces' that were threatening the splendid and united science of Physiology. In the United States RH Chitternden (Yale) started to teach Physiological Chemistry to medical students in 1874 and visited Hoppe-Seyler in 1878. Yale became the center for biochemical education in the USA.
Biochemistry teaching in Hungary During theAustrian-Hungarian empire The first attempt to teach Physiological Chemistry in Hungary was made in 1850 when the Medical Faculty of the Hungarian Royal University of Sciences suggested the establishment of a Department of Physiological and Pathophysiological Chemistry. The argument was that "the development of Medical Sciences to the highest standard can be achieved only by combining the physical examination of patients with Pathology and Pathological Chemistry". However, this attempt failed and the Department of the Physiological and Pathophysiological Chemistry was not founded until 20 years later by Pal Plosz soon after the establishment of the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy (1867). The Department of Plosz received 13800 Forints between 1874 and 1895 and the yearly income of Plosz increased from 500 to 800 Ft. It would now be difficult to judge whether this support was better at that time than funding today especially since research is getting increasingly expensive. In fact, it is becoming virtually impossible to do productive science in most of the world today because we have become used to expensive reagents and large items of equipment and are unable to think of important research problems that can be tackled using a few test tubes! Physiological Chemistry teaching and science started early in Hungary and was first under German, then AngloSaxon influences. This is perhaps inevitable because staff commenced their research activities in foreign institutions: for example, Plosz (Ttibingen, Hoppe-Seyler's laboratory), Tangl (Graz, Ttibingen, Berlin, Leipzig), Zechmeiter (Berlin), Tanko (Berlin, London), SzentGy6rgyi (Groningen, Cambridge), Straub (Cambridge). This tradition continued after the Second World War and even now most Hungarian biochemists spend a couple of years in Western institutions. After the First World War Despite the psychological trauma that followed the First World War, Hungarian Biochemistry was at its best in the Universities and High Schools, for example, in Peter Pazmany University of Science, Budapest; Veterinary High School, Budapest; Royal Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Budapest; Jozsef Ferenc University of Science, Szeged; Istvan Tisza University of Science, Debrecen; and Royal Elisabeth University, Pecs. Major discoveries, over this period included clarifying carotenoid structure (Zechmeister), polysaccharide structure (Zechmeister, Cholnoky, Tuzson), discovery of fructose 1-phosphate (TankoRobinson ester), discovery of vitamin C (Szent-GyOrgyi),
80 contributions to knowledge of cellular respiration, biological oxidation, citric acid cycle (Szent-Gy6rgyi), discovery of myosin (Balo-Banga and Szent-Gy6rgyi), discovery of actin (Straub and Szent-Gy6rgyi). After the Second World War Under Soviet influence restructuring of the universities took place. Former faculties of universities became 'independent' universities and medical faculties became medical universities. These included Semmelweis University Medical School, Budapest, the Medical University, Debrecen, the Medical University, Pecs, and the Medical University, Szeged. The aim of teaching Biochemistry at the Medical Universities was, and remained, not the training of qualified biochemists, but rather to help understanding of (1) processes in cells and organisms, particularly in the human organism and (2) the mechanism of drug action. Biochemistry teaching at Medical Universities usually includes Medical Chemistry (first and second semester), and Functional Biochemistry (third and fourth semester). However, separation of Chemistry and Biochemistry remained incomplete at the Semmelweis University since the two departments were run at the beginning by the same person (B F Straub) in the same building. These two departments are now called the Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry (formerly Department of Biochemistry I), and the Department of Biochemistry (formerly Department of Biochemistry 11). Both departments teach Chemistry to first grade students and Biochemistry for second grade students. These departments simply divided the students into two groups, half of them attending the courses of the Department of Medical Chemistry and the other half the Institute of Biochemistry. Teaching Chemistry and Biochemistry for foreign students in German and English makes the teaching schedule even more versatile and teachers in these two departments have a wealth of choices to teach: Chemistry or Biochemistry for medical, dental or pharmacy students in English or German (Hungarian is obligatory for every teacher). Overlapping in teaching increased in the 1950s when Biology teaching was introduced and Biology Departments were established at the Medical Universities with the aim "to provide medical students with general scientific knowledge for their future studies". Molecular Biology was and is taught by Biology Departments at the regional Medical Universities, but by the Biochemistry Departments at Semmelweis. Since Biophysics and Physiology were also taught overlapping occurred among the Departments of Physiology, Biology, Biophysics and Biochemistry. To try to alleviate the situation, the Central Committee of the Communist Party ideologist Gy6rgy Acz61 announced: "We shall see that scientists of different disciplines are in constant contact and understand each other's language, problems and goals": however, these remained only phrases and nothing really changed.
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Despite the negative influences (Soviet and local political influence, professional knowledge secondary to ideology, counter-selection of leaders, general decline of the biological sciences) there was a general agreement that the teaching of Biochemistry was important and influenced related subjects more than any other subject without substituting them. This recognition was followed by the introduction of Biochemistry teaching for pharmacy students and for students at the Universities of Sciences, Technical Universities and at the University of Horticulture and Food.
What has changed after the Cold War? Regrouping of Universities, identity crisis Small Universities which were Faculties before the Second World War are still in the process of reunion, but due to the ever-present problem of who should take the lead after amalgamation, there is strong resistance from the present leadership. Meanwhile parallel and duplicate Departments try to redefine themselves to avoid fusion. Budget cuts and the introduction of tuition fees are a constant cause of fear and tension. Hungarian science recently shows a general decline mainly due to the lack of adequate financial support. Problem-based learning started a couple of years ago in some Biochemistry Departments using time for practical classes now regarded as outdated. Since we are at the beginning of this process we do not know which will be the best solution for problem-based learning in Hungary. We do not have enough experience and perspective to evaluate this process. Hungarians are proud of having the highest ratio of Nobel laurates per population (10 Nobel laurates per 10 million population). However, only Albert Szent-Gy6rgyi managed to do it on Hungarian soil. Until the end of the 1980s Hungarian scientists returned from their fellowships, but so far in the 90s most of those who have left the country have not returned. Some people think this is beneficial and those who stay in the country can do better science. However, this may be a Pyrrhic victory since the virtual gain may well be contributed by those good scientists who just leave the country. The estimated number of scientists in Hungary is now 8000 versus 30000 in 1985. If none of those who left the country manages to get a Noble prize in the foreseeable future, this will be a definitive proof that Hungarian science is declining!
Acknowledgements I wish to acknowledge the written material published under the title: The History of Hungarian Biochemistry, in Biokemia 9(2), 79-88 (1985); ibid 9(3), 113-124; ibid 9(4), 174-189 (in Hungarian) and provided by Professor Daniel Bagdy.
