BEGINNINGS
The history of rheumatology in Craiova goes back almost two decades and reflects the effort initiated and coordinated by Professor PhD Paulina Lucia Ciurea, who laid the foundations of a training nucleus for future teachers in the discipline of Rheumatology at UMF Craiova. Of course, the idea of building a school of rheumatology also had in mind the training of specialized medical staff who would provide adequate medical care to patients with rheumatic diseases, which was a real need at the time. Thus, in 2002, the Rheumatology Department was set up, which later became a clinical department within the Medical Clinic I of the Craiova County Emergency Hospital. Professor PhD Ciurea Paulina Lucia is both the founder of the Rheumatology Clinic and the main mentor of future generations of medical specialists who have benefited from a solid clinical training, a fact confirmed by the professional competence and the visibility that Craiova rheumatology currently enjoys.
Under the guidance of Professor PhD Ciurea Paulina Lucia, young doctors, determined to progress both medically and didactically, have reached professional maturity, and an initially small team, consisting of Dr. Anca Emanuela Mușetescu and Dr. Vreju Ananu Florentin, has turned into a solid and united team, with a high quality professional conduct.
TRAINING STUDENTS, PHD STUDENTS, RESIDENTS AND YOUNG SPECIALISTS
The interest in pursuing a medical career in rheumatology and the basis for the training of future medical specialists starts at university. Thus, a priority objective has been the establishment of the subject of Rheumatology within the undergraduate degree programmes under the academic auspices of UMF Craiova..
By acquiring the status of a doctoral training centre in the field of rheumatology within the IOSUD Doctoral School of UMF Craiova, the premises for the development of the research coordination were created. The elaboration of numerous doctoral theses has been an important argument in the national academic recognition of the level of training and the capacity to coordinate rigorous research projects.
Once established, the discipline of Rheumatology had a nice evolution, enriched its teaching staff and managed to provide optimal conditions for both the training of students and graduates following a residency program in the specialty of rheumatology. The discipline's staff is also involved in the professional promotion stages by organising committees in specialist and primary examinations.
Mentoring clinical trainees, training resident physicians, and coordinating PhD students in various research projects require both the expertise of well-trained mentors and access to high-performance equipment. In this respect, the Rheumatology team has a musculoskeletal ultrasound laboratory with multiple diagnostic and therapeutic implications in rheumatological practice, as well as a videoapillaroscope for the investigation of early endothelial dysfunction in immune-mediated vasculo-conjunctival disorders.
RHEUMATOLOGY RESEARCH CENTRE
The interest in rheumatology research is reflected in the publication of a significant number of scientific papers, as well as in research projects won through national competition. Under the coordination of Professor PhD Ciurea Paulina Lucia, the Rheumatology Research Centre was established in 2011, providing a modern material base with applications in rheumatology. The winning of research grants has enabled the endowment of high-performance equipment for videoapillaroscopy, musculoskeletal ultrasonography and ultrasonodensitometry.
In 2022, under the coordination of Professor PhD Vreju Ananu Florentin, the Early Arthritis Centre of the Rheumatology Research Centre - UMF Craiova is established. The main objective of this project is to provide high quality medical care to patients with arthritis by facilitating access to the rheumatologist, multidisciplinary approach and adoption of an optimal therapeutic conduct.
SCIENTIFIC EVENTS
The Rheumatology team has always shown a special interest in increasing the visibility and dissemination of current medical information in the medical community through participation in multiple educational projects and scientific events addressed to both resident physicians and physicians specializing in rheumatology, internal medicine or other related specialties. This concern is reflected by the presence in numerous continuing medical education programs, active participation in scientific sessions during the UMF Craiova days, as well as national conferences in the field. A reference event is the National Congress of Rheumatology in 2004, organized in Craiova, with international participation, which brings to the fore the value of the UMF Craiova centre and strengthens the position of Craiova rheumatology in the national scientific field.
Other recent scientific events in which the Rheumatology discipline has been involved include:
● Webinar- Management of inflammatory rheumatic diseases: from early diagnosis to treatment (2021)
● Launch of the Early Arthritis Centre at UMF Craiova (2022)
● Craiova Connects - multidisciplinary event: Gastroenterology - Rheumatology - Dermatology (2022)
● International Congress of Ultrasonography - AISUR, Craiova 1st RheumaUltrasound Hands-on Sonography Course – MSUS First Level (2022)
PUBLISHING ACTIVITY
The publishing activity of the Rheumatology team has materialized through the publication of rheumatology compendiums, monographs, practical workbooks and chapters in reference treatises in the field. The edited books have responded to the needs of the publicistic space aimed at university and postgraduate training. The whole publishing activity reflects the capacity of the teaching staff to work together, as well as the desire to update and systematically present the knowledge acquired. The main books edited by members of the Rheumatology team include:
● Medicină Internă Reumatologie Ediția a 2-a, sub redacția Paulina Lucia Ciurea, Editura Medicală Universitară, 2023, Craiova, ISBN 978-973-106-379-9.
● Reumatologie, Vol I, sub redacția Paulina Lucia Ciurea, Editura Medicală 2021. ISBN 978-973-39-0895-1.
● Reumatologie, Vol II, sub redacția Paulina Lucia Ciurea, Editura Medicală 2021. ISBN 978-973-39-0896-8.
● Întrebari și răspunsuri în reumatologie – Anca Emanuela Musetescu, Paulina Ciurea (sub redactia), Editura Sitech, 2018, Craiova, ISBN 978-606-11-6644-2.
● Tehnici de terapie locală în reumatologie – Florentin Vreju, Paulina Ciurea (sub redactia), Editura Medicală Universitară, 2016, Craiova, ISBN 978-973-106-226-6
● Medicină Internă Reumatologie, sub redacția Paulina Lucia Ciurea, Editura Medicală Universitară, 2013, Craiova, ISBN 978-973-106-207-5.
● Reumatologie - Paulina Ciurea (sub redacţia), Editura Medicală Universitară, 2007, Craiova, ISBN 978-973-106-060-6.
● Bolile de colagen şi reumatismale. Paulina Ciurea, Tudorel Ciurea (sub redacția), Editura didactică şi pedagogică, Bucureşti 1996, ISBN 973-30-5487-9.
The publication activity of the Rheumatology team receives special appreciation at the General Assembly of the Academy of Medical Sciences on 17.11.2023. On this occasion the Prize of Excellence is awarded for the publication of the treatise on Rheumatology (Vol. I and II), edited by Professor PhD Paulina Lucia Ciurea.
The results of the research activity undertaken both within the Rheumatology Research Centre and through various collaborations with other reference university centres have been disseminated through multiple publications in ISI Web of Science indexed journals and exhibited at various scientific events in Romania and abroad.
The experience and prestige acquired in the scientific community is also supported by the involvement of some of the staff members in the Editorial Board and Scientific Committee of the Romanian Journal of Rheumatology.
TEAM
The entire teaching activity within the discipline of Rheumatology is provided by a valuable team of academics who combine clinical responsibilities with research activity and provide medical training to students both through lectures and at the patient's bedside.
Currently the responsible of the discipline is Professor PhD Ciurea Paulina Lucia, whose staff consists of Professor PhD Vreju Ananu Florentin, Professor PhD Mușetescu Anca Emanuela, Professor PhD Roșu Anca, Head of works Criveanu Cristina, Head of works Dinescu Ștefan Cristian, Head of works Dr. Bănicioiu-Covei Simona, Assistant professor Biță Cristina Elena and Assistant professor Florescu Alesandra.