Historical Overview

With over 75 years of continuous operation, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sarajevo stands as a cornerstone of medical education and healthcare development in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Faculty officially opened its doors on November 16, 1946, following an initiative by Prof. Dr. Nedo Zec, then Minister of Public Health of the People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. His proposal, submitted in March 1946 to the Committee for Public Health of the FNRJ in Belgrade, led to the establishment of a commission for founding the Faculty. In response to this initiative, 296 students—many of whom had previously studied in Belgrade and Zagreb—enrolled in the inaugural class.

By December 1947, the Faculty moved into its first dedicated facilities, including three amphitheaters built on the grounds of the former General State Hospital “Koševo.” The full construction was completed in 1952, and by the academic year 1949/50, the Faculty had established 20 departments.

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sarajevo established a dentistry program in 1960, which later evolved into the Faculty of Dental Medicine in 1974. That same year, in collaboration with the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Sarajevo, the Faculty of Medicine co-founded the Faculty of Pharmacy. Additionally, 1974 marked the beginning of instruction for students enrolled in the Higher Medical School.

Until 1954, the curriculum followed the traditional Central European model, with a particular emphasis on the clinical component of medical education. This approach aimed to deliver theoretical and practical instruction in parallel. The program lasted six years, and in 1954, a “block system” of teaching was introduced, which remained in place until 1956.

Due to a shortage of physicians in Yugoslavia, the federal government introduced a five-year medical program in 1956. This model was implemented at the Faculty and remained in effect for 34 years, until the 1990/91 academic year.

In the 1991/92 academic year, the first wartime generation of students enrolled in the six-year medical curriculum. This program remained in place for students of General Medicine until the 2002/03 academic year, when revisions and amendments were made to the curriculum. As a result, a Revised Curriculum for the study of Medicine was adopted.

Since April 1992, at the onset of the aggression and war in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sarajevo has continuously carried out its core activities — teaching, scientific research, and professional engagement. During the war period, until June 1995, classes were held in shifts to enhance student safety and reduce daily exposure to the dangers of shelling and sniper attacks. The teaching process took place under extremely difficult conditions — in partially damaged facilities due to shelling, without water, electricity, or heating, with minimal supplies for practical exercises, a lack of literature, and constant threats to the lives of students, faculty, and staff. Despite these challenges, the continuity of instruction ensured the ongoing education of medical doctors, which was of vital importance for the functioning of healthcare institutions and the defense of the country. Between May 1992 and November 1995, a total of 224 students graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, earning the title of Doctor of Medicine. The Faculty also maintained its postgraduate programs during the war, including the administration of exams and the process of submitting, preparing, and defending master’s theses. During this period, 26 master’s theses and 21 doctoral dissertations were successfully defended.

The Faculty of Medicine in Sarajevo, as the alma mater of all of us — of medical education and healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina — opened its doors during the war and offered its available facilities to all faculties of the University of Sarajevo. During the first three years of the aggression and the siege of Sarajevo, 11 faculties of the University of Sarajevo operated within the premises of the Faculty of Medicine. Instruction was directly provided for the needs of the Faculty of Dental Medicine, the Faculty of Pharmacy, and the Higher Medical School. In addition, the Faculties of Architecture, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Forestry, Agriculture, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Physical Education were actively functioning. This act symbolized the Faculty of Medicine as the original nucleus of the University of Sarajevo and a vital factor in maintaining the continuity of the University’s operations during the aggression and war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The post-war period was marked by the intensive restoration of the Faculty of Medicine’s human and infrastructural capacities.

At the Berlin Summit on September 18, 2003, Bosnia and Herzegovina officially joined the Bologna Process. That same year, a higher education reform was introduced in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The next revision of the medical curriculum took place in 2007 with the adoption of the Reformed Curriculum for the study of Medicine, aligning the program with the Bologna Process and the provisions of the Law on Higher Education of the Sarajevo Canton, which introduced Bologna principles into the education system. The first generation of students enrolled under the Bologna system at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo, began their studies in the 2007/08 academic year. Through continuous monitoring of the outcomes of the 2007/08 curriculum reform and the experience gained, individual and minor adjustments were made to course syllabi to better meet the demands of medical education and the implementation of the Reformed (Bologna) Curriculum. However, the core curriculum remained unchanged.

After six academic years and one full generation of students graduating under the reformed curriculum, with the active and equal involvement of students from all years of study, a careful analysis of the previous curriculum reform, and a comparative review of the existing curriculum with those of leading medical faculties in neighboring countries and the European Union, sufficient experience and knowledge were gained to undertake a comprehensive revision of the medical curriculum at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo. Based on this, the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Medicine adopted a decision (No. 01-4-TK-5835/14, dated December 9, 2014) approving the revised curriculum for the study of Medicine, which laid the foundation for the development of the Integrated Study Program in Medicine.

The curriculum of the Integrated Study Program in Medicine was adopted by the Senate of the University of Sarajevo on May 27, 2015. The number of contact teaching hours was harmonized with the curricula of medical programs in neighboring countries, Western Europe, and in accordance with EU Directive 2005/36, specifically Article 24 on regulated professions, as well as Directive 2013/55 of the Council of Europe. The curriculum includes 5,535 contact hours and 360 ECTS credits, ensuring that graduates of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sarajevo are eligible to have their diplomas recognized in all countries of the region and the European Union.

The curriculum is content-wise very similar to those of medical faculties in the European Union and is programmatically equivalent to the most modern curricula. Through harmonization and curriculum recognition, mobility has been ensured not only for students but also for academic staff.

Leadership Through the Years

Since its establishment in 1946, the Faculty of Medicine has been led by distinguished figures in Bosnian medical and academic life. Each Dean has contributed significantly to the Faculty’s development, internationalization, and academic excellence.

Deans of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo (1947–present)

• Prof. dr Aleksandar Sabovljev (1947–1948)
• Prof. dr Vladimir Čavka (1948–1949)
• Prof. dr Blagoje Kovačević (1949–1950)
• Prof. dr Nedo Zec (1950–1951)
• Prof. dr Milivoj Sarvan (1951–1952)
• Prof. dr Pavao Štern (1952–1953)
• Prof. dr Aleksandar Sabovljev (1953–1954)
• Prof. dr Milivoj Sarvan (1954–1955)
• Prof. dr Živojin Ignjačev (1955–1956)
• Prof. dr Blagoje Kovačević (1956–1957)
• Prof. dr Grujica Žarković (1957–1960)
• Prof. dr Ivo Herlinger (1960–1962)
• Prof. dr Grujica Žarković (1962–1964)
• Prof. dr Hajrudin Hadžiselimović (1964–1967)
• Prof. dr Marko Ciglar (1967–1973)
• Prof. dr Hisam Serdarević (1973–1974)
• Prof. dr Esref Sarajlić (1974–1980)
• Prof. dr Aleksandar Nikulin (1980–1982)
• Prof. dr Momir Macanović (1982–1986)
• Prof. dr Antun Lovrinčević (1986–1988)
• Prof. dr Boriša Starović (1988–1992)
• Prof. dr Nedžad Mulabegović (1993–2000)
• Prof. dr Husein Kulenović (2000–2003)
• Prof. dr Osman Durić (2003–2006)
• Prof. dr Bakir Mehić (2006–2014)
• Prof. dr Almira Hadžović-Džuvo (2014–2017)
• Prof. dr Semra Čavaljuga (2017–2021)