The importance of mood, the angst as an emotional response, anxious disorders and many other metal health themes are the agenda of global health policies. If the disorders of the soul didn’t have a great importance in public politics, it was also rare for a recently graduated doctor to choose psychiatry. However, this was the path chosen, in the 70’s, by Prof. Valentim Gentil Filho, of the Psychiatry Institute (IPq) of HCFMUSP, and resulted in a warm celebration on November 7th, at the IPq.
Prof. Valentim Gentil enters a new phase in the academic life, now as Senior Professor of FMUSP. The retirement was the cue for the tribute event, which crowded the main auditorium and the hall of IPq. The ceremony took an informal tone, with live music and statements made by the audience. Those who couldn’t be present payed their tribute through a video exhibited in a big screen.
With decisive actions for the institute, the path of Prof. Valentim is tangled with the history of the institution itself, as remembered by his peers, family, friends, professionals, students, besides leaders and prominent scientists of the HCFMUSP Complex who attended the event.
“An institution is not made only by buildings and machines, but of people who act on it. His figure is surely one who brought most prestigious to our Hose. The Board of Directors of FMUSP and the HCFMUSP Deliberative Board pay their tribute to the Professor”, said, by video, the FMUSP Director, Prof. Tarcísio Eloy Pessoa de Barros Filho.
Prof. Roger Chammas, vice-director of FMUSP, reminded the importance of humanization in the medical career. “I speak as a former student a celebrate here, not only his career, but, mostly, his values. What I think is striking is you have demonstrated it was possible to use the medical technique without forgetting humanism. This, our generation will take as an example”, he says.
“This building (IPq), when inaugurated in 1940, it was a beauty. But when it was delivered, in 1952, it was obsolete. We had to understand a new model, for medicine had already transformed itself. Each one of you who have worked here, took care of this modernization. Those were made by all of us, in every detail. I’m sure the institution will keep evolving and answering the needs of the society. What I did was following the example of Prof. José Roberto de Albuquerque Fontes (1925-2002), on preserving the identity of this wonderful institution which, in a way, has almost disappeared. It has been an amazing journey and this is a field still being built because there are many relevant contributions to give to society.”, said Prof. Valentim.
Graduated by FMUSP in 1970, professor of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB) of USP from 1971 to 1986, he became a Psychiatry Professor in 1987 and a Titular Psychiatry Professor by FMUSP in 1994. He was Visiting Professor in several foreigner renowned institutions. He is a permanent member of the Director Board of IPq HCFMUSP. He developed administrative and academic functions, while also being one of the main researchers of the Institute. His professional interests include the regulation mechanisms of normal mood, the importance of angst as an emotional response, the treatment of anxious and mood disorders and the betterment of the services and public politics of mental health.
