'The King of Diseases': An Essay on the Special Attention Paid to Cancer Patients and How It Came About.

The history of cancer during the twentieth century demonstrates that various factors have contributed to the perception of cancer as the 'Emperor of All Maladies', although this has never been true from an epidemiological perspective. Depending on the geographical area, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria or cardiovascular disease still head the list of the most common illnesses. Within the group of chronic-degenerative diseases, however, cancer has outdistanced the widespread classic infectious diseases as a result of the epidemiologic transition around 1900, at least in the more developed countries.

International medical students' expectations and worries at the beginning of their medical education: a qualitative focus group study.

Background: The number of international students has increased substantially within the last decade. Due to cultural barriers, this specific group faces diverse challenges. In comparison to German colleagues, international medical students perform significantly lower in clinical examinations and exceed the average duration of study; they suffer from personal distress as well as insufficient support.

[[In process].].

The 'case' of Georg Friedrich NICOLAI, a Berlin physiologist and pacifist, who vehemently stood against a chauvi- nistic academic world in Germany in August 1914, is typical for the academic situation and the role of nationalistic professors as 'mandarines' at German universities and academies at the outbreak of the Great War. NICOLAI suffered a lot from his pacifist internationalism: he was brutally excluded from scientific community, and his academic career was destroyed. Had he not successfully escaped to Denmark, his physical existence would have been endangered as well.

Voluntary peer-led exam preparation course for international first year students: Tutees' perceptions.

Background: While the number of international students has increased over the last decade, such students face diverse challenges due to language and cultural barriers. International medical students suffer from personal distress and a lack of support. Their performance is significantly lower than non-international peers in clinical examinations.