Register for Croatian Student Summit 18 - Body & Mind, 25.04.2023. - 28.04.2023. in University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb

What is CROSS?

Croatian Student Summit or CROSS is an international scientific congress for students and young scientists in the biomedical field. In recent years CROSS has found its place as one of the leading student congresses not only in Croatia but also in this part of Europe.
The project was initiated by the Student Council of the University of Zagreb School of Medicine in the academic year 2004/2005. 

The eighteenth edition of the congress will be held from April 25th to 28th, 2023 at the School of Medicine in Zagreb, Šalata. The congress is organized by the Student Council of the University of Zagreb School of Medicine. The topic of this year's congress is: Body & Mind. For more details please visit our webpage cross.mef.hr.

This year‘s CROSS

Today’s medicine puts forth the unity of the body and soul, also known as the psychosomatic approach. The connection between the psychological and the physical is in itself a reciprocal one - on the one hand, the psychological state affects the occurrence of physiological illnesses (the psychosomatic theory as previously mentioned above) and on the other hand, the body itself affects the mind (also known as somatogenesis). Every disease could be classified as psychosomatic - it’s just a matter of proportion. 

The concept of the psychosomatic theory and the connection between the body and the mind in the genesis of various diseases dates back to ancient times. The preceding approach was changed by Aretaeus of Cappadocia by introducing and establishing the notion that emotional states influence homeostasis and the outcome of diseases. Throughout the history of medicine and the development of its various different clinical branches, many physicians started speaking out in favor of the possible connection between the psychological and the physical condition, two previously seemingly unrelated components. Today, we are familiar with and accept the biopsychosocial model which describes how the integration of multiple factors (physical and psychological) affects the progress of diseases.

Some of the most common diseases detectable in the practice of a general practitioner are psychosomatic, a research has shown that 60% of patients that contact and visit their general practitioner regarding physical injuries are actually suffering from psychosomatic issues. The treatment of said patients, along with primary and secondary prevention, poses a challenge for physicians. 

The acceptance of the disease itself and the process every patient goes through is complex and more often than not requires an interdisciplinary approach. Experts and doctors of different specialities often have to cooperate and create a treatment plan for the patient. Research concerning various different factors that affect the genesis and the outcome of diseases have been gaining more attention and importance, often mentioning stress and its influence on the disruption of homeostasis; the diseases themselves commonly either progress or the patients relapse, which results in making the treatment more challenging. From general practitioners, to internal medicine doctors, psychiatrists and various other experts, one goal remains the same - curing the patient. 

As future doctors, we owe it to our patients to provide them with a thorough, complete examination, taking into account all of their symptoms and properly handling them. The integration of different medical fields is gradually becoming more apparent and important with numerous factors that influence the genesis of diseases while the perplexity of the pathology itself is growing rapidly. 

During this year’s CROSS, together we’ll be diving into the complexities of the psychosomatic and the somatopsychic theory, exploring the connection between the body and the mind through a series of fascinating lectures from the aspects of numerous different medical fields in hopes of remembering an important message - our patients need adequate care which can only be given to them by acknowledging all of their symptoms and providing appropriate support. The future of medicine is integrated medicine, so let us give you a glimpse into the future and all the wonders it holds by attending this year’s CROSS.

Please follow our social media for more info!