[80th anniversary of the Slovak Medical Society in Bratislava (1920-2000), and its significance in the development of medicine in Slovakia].

The establishment of the Slovak Medical Society (SMS) in Bratislava on 13th June 1920 (until 1939, the society was included into the Czechoslovak Medical Society) represents one of the most important milestones in the modern history of Slovak medicine. It was founded in direct consequence of the establishment of the first faculty of the Comenius University, namely the Medical Faculty. SMS began to issue its own journal Bratislavské lekárske listy (Bratislava Medical Journal) which was the first medical journal published in Slovakia after the origin of the Czechoslovak Republic. Eighty years of the existence of SMS which by its 2500 members forms the largest medical association, prove that the share of this society and its contribution to the development of Slovak medicine are essential. For many years, the society has been the only forum for Slovak physicians and scientific workers of the Medical Faculty where they could meet and increase their expertise. The society has witnessed also the significant material and moral support and co-operation between Czech and Slovak physicians during the period of the first Czechoslovak Republic.