Medical training in the US at the beginning of the 20th century was very poor indeed. One could buy a medical degree by post or qualify with the minimum amount of study.The AMA (American Medical Association) realised that changes were urgently needed and created a “Council on Medical Education”. Soon, internal feuds and under funding made the Council’s task impossible.The Rockefeller-Carnegie foundations stepped in. Both foundations were looking for ways to extend their interest in the pharmaceutical industry. With superb timing, in December 1908, after a meeting between Henry Pritchett - president of the Carnegie foundation - and the AMA, an agreement was reached to include the Rockefeller-Carnegie foundations in the drafting of a new Report on necessary changes to Medical training.In 1910, the Flexner Report was published. It pointed out the inadequacy of the current medical training and proposed a substantial amount of changes. Most changes were needed and welcome by most. Amongst these changes, was the “strengthening of pharmacology (use of drugs) and the creation of research sections at all approved schools”.The strengthening of pharmacology was the reason for the changes. Doctors from that time onwards were taught to prescribe drugs for the war against disease, thus enriching […]

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