Bust of Hippocrates dedicated in Chapman Wellness Garden
By Audrey Post FSU College of Medicine
The Florida State University College of Medicine dedicated a bust of Hippocrates during a May 15 ceremony that was part of Awards Day festivities for the M. D. Class of 2026, which was graduating the next day.
As Dean Alma Littles, M. D., explained to the crowd gathered in the Chapman Wellness Garden, medical school students, faculty and staff are quite familiar with Hippocrates’ contributions to medicine. For those not quite so immersed, she offered a brief primer:
“ Around 400 B. C., Hippocrates elevated the practice of medicine from its foundations in witchcraft, sorcery and religious curses to a practice based in nature, science and observation,” she said.“ He rejected the idea that diseases are punishments from the gods and introduced the notion that they had natural, environmental or lifestyle-driven causes.”
Dr. Bob Watson, left, and Michael Dodson pose with the bust of Hippocrates.
He also believed that given proper diet, enough rest and gentle treatment, the body
58 FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY | COLLEGE OF MEDICINE