The beginning of the teaching of Surgical Semiology in Craiova took place in the academic year 1972-1973, when the first class of students of the Faculty of Medicine reached the third year of study, the year in which Surgical Semiology was included in the curriculum. The first teacher of the subject was Assistant Professor Fane Ghelase, the course was assisted by Dr. Vasile Ciobanu (Head of Anatomy) and Dr. Petre Tonița (Head of Surgery I). Since the 1973/1974 academic year, the following were appointed by competitive examination to the discipline: Prof. Dr. Ion Bușu, Head of Surgery I Clinic and Prof. Dr. Petre Georgescu, Head of Surgery II and Urology Clinic, who taught both Surgical Semiology for the 3rd year and Surgical Pathology for the 4th year.

Since 1994 the course of Surgical Semiology has been taught by Prof. Ion Gugilă and Prof. Traian Curcă. Since 1996, the Department of Surgical Semiology was created, with Prof. Ion Gugilă as head of the department.

Since the academic year 2003/2004 the discipline of Surgical Semiology has been led by Prof.univ.dr. Ion Vasile and from 2017 until now Prof.univ.dr. Ionică Daniel Vîlcea is in charge of the discipline.

The headquarters of the discipline has always been located in the County Clinical Hospital of Craiova, initially on the 4th and 6th floor, and since 2003 the headquarters of the discipline has been established on the 6th floor in Clinic II General Surgery, the activity with students being also extended to the 3rd floor in Clinic III General Surgery.

Over the years, the discipline's collective has been represented by outstanding personalities of Craiova's surgery: professor Ion Bușu, professor Petre Georgescu, professor Fane Ghelase, Dr. Petre Tonița, Dr. Vasile Ciobanu, professor Traian Curcă, professor Ion Gugilă, professor Ion Vasile, professor Firmilian Calotă, associate professor Marin Pașalega, associate professor Marian Munteanu, lecturer Paul Mănescu, lecturer Toma Paraliov, lecturer Virgil Mustață.

Currently, the surgical semiology team is represented by professor Ionică Daniel Vîlcea ( in charge of the discipline), professor Cecil Sorin Mirea, associate professor. Cristian Meșină, lecturer Anca Ruxanda, lecturer Liviu Vasile, lecturer Theodor Viorel Dumitrescu, lecturer Emil Moraru, lecturer Mircea Pirșcoveanu, lecturer Cosmin Vasile Obleagă, assistant professor Mihai Călin Ciorbagiu, assistant professor Alexandru Munteanu.

The objective of Surgical Semiology is to provide 3rd year students with the informational and logistical support necessary to understand semiology and medical-surgical propaedeutics, with the following goals: assimilation of the necessary notions of clinical diagnosis in surgical diseases (anamnesis, objective clinical examination, paraclinical examinations); handling of surgical instruments and use of basic surgical techniques; theoretical knowledge of the semiology of thyroid, breast, digestive tract organs and adnexal glands and peripheral vascular system diseases; orientation of therapeutic conduct through theoretical and practical notions of preoperative and postoperative preparation and recognition of surgical complications.

The publishing activity in the discipline has been rich, materialized by the publication of numerous courses, surgical semiology internship notebooks and monographs dedicated mainly to surgical students, interns and residents:

•          Lucrări practice de chirurgie sub redacția Prof.univ.dr. Ion Bușu, Reprografia Universității din Craiova, în 1981;
•          Semiologie chirurgicală – tub digestiv și glande anexe sub redacția Prof.univ.dr. Ion Bușu, Editura Scrisul Românesc, în anul 1981;
•          Semiologie chirurgicală – curs pentru uzul studenților sub redacția Prof.univ.dr. Petre Georgescu, Reprografia Universității din Craiova, în 1983;
•          Urgențe chirurgicale sub redacția Prof.univ.dr. Firmilian Calotă, Prof.univ.dr. Fane Ghelase, Editura Novus Craiova, 1992;
•          Semiologie chirurgicală sub redacția Prof.univ.dr. Traian Curcă și Prof.univ.dr. Ion Gugilă, Reprografia Universității din Craiova, în 1998;
•          Tratat de Semiologie Chirurgicală, sub redacția Prof.univ.dr. Traian Curcă și Prof.univ.dr. Ion Gugilă, Editura Agora, în 1999;
•        Semiologie chirurgicală – manual pentru studenți sub redacția Prof.univ.dr. Ion Vasile, Conf.univ.dr. Marian Munteanu, Conf.univ.dr. Marin Pașalega și Prof.univ.dr. Ion Gugilă, Editura Medicală Universitară Craiova, în 2005;
•    Semiologie chirurgicală – manual pentru studenţi sub redacția Prof.univ.dr. Ion Vasile, Conf.univ.dr. Marian Munteanu, Conf.univ.dr. Marin Pașalega Editura Medicală Universitară Craiova, 2014
•    Semiologie chirurgicală - Caiet de lucrări practice sub redacția Prof.univ.dr. Ion Vasile, Conf.univ.dr. Marian Munteanu, Conf.univ.dr. Marin Pașalega Editura Medicală Universitară Craiova, 2015; 
•    Surgical semiology for Foreign students sub redacția Conf.univ.dr. Ionică Daniel Vîlcea, Șef lucr.univ.dr. Cecil Sorin Mirea, Prof.univ.dr. Ion Vasile, Editura SITECH, Craiova, 2016.

In the year 2022, on the occasion of the semicentenary of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, the monograph Surgical Semiology was published under the editorship of Prof. Ionică Daniel Vîlcea and Prof. Cecil Sorin Mirea at the Craiova University Medical Publishing House.

The scientific research of the discipline of Surgical Semiology has addressed a broad topic, particularly related to oncological surgery of the entire digestive tract, from the oesophagus to the rectum, but also breast cancer, pancreatic cancer or retroperitoneal tumours. Clinical trials and more than 10 competitive grants won by the collective of the discipline have resulted in more than 100 scientific articles, many of them published in Web of Science indexed journals. The scientific activity has also resulted in numerous communications at national and international scientific events, the discipline's collective being present with such communications at all national surgical congresses and conferences.

The recognition of the scientific and surgical activity of the discipline has resulted in many of its members occupying honourable positions in national professional societies, in scientific or organising committees of scientific events of surgical profile, as well as through the "Alexandru Rădulescu" prize awarded in 2011 for a monograph published by the collective of the discipline.