Medical Schools in Existence Prior to and During the Civil War

(The following are the personal edited research notes of Michael Echols, the source of which may or may not be completely documented)

The following list of medical schools were in existence prior to the Civil War and graduated doctors who ‘may’ have been the right age to have served in the Civil War as a surgeon.  There are contract surgeons (irregulars) and Union surgeons in the Army (regulars), either of which could have served in the Civil War.  Most surgeons in the War were trained during the 1840’s and 50’s.  The value of this information is that it serves to help document if a given doctor, surgeon, or officer, in fact could have served in the War.  If the school they attended is not on this list or the dates do not make sense, then it helps in the process of elimination.

Pennsylvania
1.   College of Philadelphia: The University of Pennsylvania School ,of Medicine, established 1765
2.   Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, established 1825
3.   Medical Department of Pennsylvania Col­lege, established 1840-61
4.   Philadelphia College of Medicine, estab­lished 1838-59
5.   Franklin Medical College, established 1846­49
6.   Pennsylvania Medical University of Philadel­phia, established 1853-61

New York
1.   King’s and Columbia Schools of Medicine, established 1767
2.   College of Physicians and Surgeons, established 1807-13
3.   Rutgers College (Queens College), established 1812-16
4.   New York University Medical College, established 1837
5.   New York School of Medicine, established 1830­33
6.   New York Hospital School of Medicine, estab­lished 1843-44
7.   Long Island College Hospital, established 1858­62
8.   Bellevue Hospital Medical College, established 1861 and later merged with N.Y.U. Medical College
9.   College of Physicians and Surgeons, Western District of New York State (Fairfield Medical College) estb. 1812-38
10. Auburn Medical School, established 1825-39
11. Geneva Medical College, established 1834-46
12. Albany Medical College, established 1838
13. University of Buffalo Department of Medicine, established 1846

Massachusetts
1.   Medical School of Harvard, established 1782
2.   Berkshire Medical Institute of Massachusetts, established 1837-69

New Hampshire
1.   Dartmouth College, Department of Medicine, established 1797

Connecticut
1.   Medical Institute of Yale College, established 1802

Rhode Island
1.   Brown University Medical School, established 1811

Maine
1.   Medical School of Maine, Bowdin College, established 1820-1834

Vermont
1.   Castle ton Medical College, established 1818-61
2.   University of Vermont Medical Department, established 1820
3.   Vermont Medical College, established 1827-56

Maryland
1.   College of Medicine of Maryland, established 1807
2.   Washington Medical College of Baltimore, established 1826-39

District of Columbia
1.   Columbian College, Medical Department (National Medical College), established 1825
2.   Georgetown College School of Medicine, estab­lished 1851

South Carolina
1.   Medical College of South Carolina, established 1823

Virginia
1.   Medical Lectures of William and Mary, estab­lished 1848-49
2.   College of Physicians of the Valley at Winches­ter, established 1825-29
3.   Winchester Medical College of Virginia, estab­lished 1847-62
4.   Medical Department University of Virginia, established 1825
5.   Medical Department of Randolf-Macon Col­lege, established 1837-54
6.   Medical Department of Hampden-Sidney College, established 1837-54
7.   Medical College of Virginia, established 1854

Georgia
1.   Medical College of Georgia, established 1829
2.   Savannah Medical College, established 1852
3.   Atlanta Medical College, established 1855-98
4.   Oglethorpe Medical College, established 1856-­61

Kentucky
1.   Medical Department of Transylvania University, established 1816-59
2.   Louisville Medical Institute, established 1833
3.   University of Louisville Medical Department, established 1845
4.   Kentucky School of Medicine, established 1849­-1908

Ohio
1.   Medical College of Ohio, established 1821
2.   Miami University Medical Department, estab­lished 1831-61
3.   Medical Department of Cincinnati College, established 1835
4.   Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery, established 1850
5.   Miami Medical College established 1853-57
6.   Willoughby Medical College, established 1834­45
7.   Starling Medical College, established 1848-73
8.   Cleveland Medical College - Western Reserve College, established 1843

Indiana
1.   LaPorte University Medical Department, established 1843-51
2.   Indiana Central Medical College, established 1849-52
3.   Medical College of Evansville, established 1849­-54

Louisiana
1.   Medical College of Louisiana, established 1834
2.   Medical Department of University of Louisiana, established 1845
3.   New Orleans School of Medicine, established 1856-61

Illinois
1.   Franklin Medical College, established 1842-46
2.   Medical Department of Illinois College, estab­lished 1843-48
3.   Rush Medical College, established 1843
4.   Medical Department of Lind University, estab­lished 1859
5.   Chicago Medical College, established 1864
6.   Northwestern University School of Medicine, established 1869
7.   Rock Island Medical College, established 1848­49

Wisconsin
1.   Wisconsin Medical College, established 1854

Iowa
1.      College of Physicians and Surgeons of the Iowa University, established 1850

Michigan
1.   University of Michigan Medical School, estab­lished 1849

Missouri
1.   Medical College of Kemper College, established 1841-47
2.   Missouri Medical College, established 1847
3.   Medical Department of the Missouri Institute of Science, established 1856
4.   Medical Department of St. Louis University, established 1842
5.   St. Louis Medical College, established 1855 then became Washington University 1899
6.   Medical Department at Franklin Medical and Literary College, established 1849
7.   St. Louis College of Medical and Natural Sci­ences, established 1855
8.   Humboldt Medical College, established 1859

Tennessee
1.   Memphis Medical School, established 1846-61
2.   Medical Department of the University of Nash­ville, established 1850 which became
3.   Shelby Medical College then became Medical Department of Vanderbilt University

Alabama
1.   Medical College of Alabama, established 1859-­61

California
1.   University of Pacific Medical Department, established 1859

Image: Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia faculty 1856, among the many famous Civil War doctors are:  Samuel D. Gross, Jacob M. Da Costa, Bartholow Roberts, Wallace, Rodgers, Pancoast,, Chapman, and others.

From: medicalantiques.com

Posted in: Civil War Medical Education