University of Bolton, Greater Manchester’s School of Medicine unveils bust of ‘father of medicine’ Hippocrates

A sculpture of the ‘father of medicine’ was unveiled at a special ceremony at the University of Bolton, Greater Manchester’s School of Medicine.

The bust of the Greek physician and philosopher Hippocrates is proudly displayed near the reception area of the University’s newly-opened £40m Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) building in the grounds of the Royal Bolton Hospital.

It was donated to the University by the Global Doctors’ Hippocratic Institute and unveiled by Dr Antonios Polydorou MD and Dr Konstantinos Pantos MD, Secretary General and Vice President of the Institute respectively, as well as Professor George E Holmes DL, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Bolton, Greater Manchester.

Professor Holmes said: “This is an enormous moment for us, bringing the great Hippocratic Institute and ‘Hippocrates’ himself to the school of medicine.

“We are very proud of the Institute and proud to be working with the Royal Bolton Hospital Trust to create a seamless connection between the academic provision and the practical.

“What is critical to us is the professional practice aspect, the immersion in practice and activity in the industry. Building a school of medicine inside a hospital is critically important to us.”

He added: “When you look at the beliefs of Hippocrates and you look at the importance of the physician to the community, we are setting ourselves at the heart of the community here by linking to the hospital and the Bolton community.

“We will provide local doctors, who are highly skilled, highly trained, highly professional technicians working in practice, but are also incredibly compassionate individuals, which again links to the Hippocratic Oath.”

The School is due to receive its first medical students in September 2025.

The Global Doctors’ Hippocratic Institute is a Greek institution in the country of Hippocrates, who was born in Kos in 460BC, established the Hippocratic Medical School and was the father of modern western medicine, being the first doctor to explain illnesses by natural causes. The Institute aims to bring together the international scientific community to the Hippocratic philosophy.

Drs Polydorou and Pantos addressed the guests and thanked the University for inviting them.

The University of Bolton, Greater Manchester School of Medicine is inviting applications from international students to join its September 2025 cohort.

The MBChB Medicine programme will be taught, subject to GMC Quality Assurance procedures, in the IMS, as well as five partnered hospitals and General Practices in the North West.

The Institute of Medical Sciences building’s opening in September marked a significant milestone for the future of healthcare education and training in Greater Manchester.

The project received £20m from the Levelling Up Fund (LUF) in 2021, making it one of the biggest LUF grants for any skills and employment project in the UK. The University also provided £20m, bringing the total cost of the facility’s construction to £40m.

IMS is a collaborative project between the University of Bolton Group, Greater Manchester, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and Bolton Council.

Applications for the MBChB Medicine Programme are now open to international students. For more information or to apply, visit: https://medicine.bolton.ac.uk/