Doctor of medicine profession (MD)

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Types of health care providers

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To address the many abuses in medical education, a national convention was held in May 1846. Proposals from that convention included the following:

• A standard code of ethics for the profession
• The adoption of uniform higher educational standards for MDs, including courses of premedical education
• The creation of a national medical association

On May 5, 1847, nearly 200 delegates representing 40 medical societies and 28 colleges from 22 states and the District of Columbia met. They resolved themselves into the first session of the American Medical Association (AMA). Nathaniel Chapman (1780-1853) was elected as the first president of the association. The AMA has grown to become an organization that has a great deal of influence over issues related to health care in the United States.

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The AMA set educational standards for MDs, including the following:

• A liberal education in the arts and sciences
• A certificate of completion in an apprenticeship before entering the medical college
• An MD degree that covered 3 years of study, including two 6-month lecture sessions, 3 months devoted to dissection, and a minimum of one 6-month session of hospital attendance

In 1852, the standards were revised to add more requirements:

• Medical schools had to provide a 16-week course of instruction that included anatomy, medicine, surgery, midwifery, and chemistry
• Graduates had to be at least 21 years of age
• Students had to complete a minimum of 3 years of study, 2 years of which were under an acceptable practitioner

Between 1802 and 1876, 62 fairly stable medical schools were established. In 1810, there were 650 students enrolled and 100 graduates from medical schools in the United States. By 1900, these numbers had risen to 25,000 students and 5,200 graduates. Nearly all of these graduates were white males.

Daniel Hale Williams (1856-1931) was one of the first black MDs. After graduating from Northwestern University in 1883, Dr. Williams practiced in Chicago and was later a main force in establishing Provident Hospital, which still serves Chicago's South Side.