Juan de la Fuente, primer catedrático de medicina en la Real y Pontificia Universidad de México.

In this paper, we analyze Juan de la Fuente's life and work. De la Fuente was a medical doctor with medical studies in Sigüenza and Sevilla, minor Spanish universities at that time. Born in Mallorca, he came to New Spain in 1563 and later, he was the first professor in the new Faculty of Medicine in the Royal and Pontificial University of Mexico. His life could be considered as an example of a brilliant professional career developed by a Spanish Medical Doctor coming to the New World, in his case to Mexico. Being a doctor in the main Mexican hospitals, and caring for numerous and select patients. Also was selected as visitador and protomédico, important responsabilities in the regulation of medical practice and quality of medicaments. As a cultivated man, he was a typical case of a humanist. He not only was interested in medicine, but also in natural history, dialectics and philosophy, with a good knowledge of Latin, classical literature and so on. He won the first Medicine Cathedra in 1578 and continued in this place until his death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]