Right from the birth of the Federal Serum Therapy Institute, one of Oswaldo Cruz’s main concerns was the training of his team of researchers. Cruz was the only one who had done specialized training abroad and who had some experience in the field of microbiology. So it followed that he himself would take up the task of instructing his team in the various demands of experimental work during those early years.
The recruitment of Henrique da Rocha Lima to the institute staff in 1903 lent new impetus to this practice. As an experienced researcher who had done his specialized training in Germany, Rocha Lima launched courses in microbiology, parasitology, anatomy, and pathological histology. Classes were given informally in the early days, but once the Federal Serum Therapy Institute had been transformed into the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in 1908, instruction was formalized within the Specialized Training Course.
In contrast with the model adopted at medical schools, classes were primarily about hands-on experimentation. A good share of the pupils were medical students who were doing their thesis research at the institute (all students were then required to write a thesis in medicine in order to receive an M.D. diploma). Another contingent comprised physicians who wanted to specialize in microbiology. As more disciplines were offered over time, the clientele grew more diverse, embracing chemists, pharmacists, and veterinarians as well. Many students came from other states and even from other Latin American nations.
After graduating, students would often volunteer to help with research at the institute. When funds were available, Cruz hired some of them. Still others were recruited by federal or state public health services.
The Specialized Training Course was the first graduate-level course in Brazil. The institute was also a pioneer in teaching Pasteurian microbiology in conjunction with tropical medicine. When it blended theoretical training and laboratory research, the institute effectively inaugurated a new educational model in Brazil.