University of Edinburgh Medical School

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University of Edinburgh Medical School
Type Medical school
Established1726;299 years ago (1726)
Parent institution
 University of Edinburgh College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Head of School David Argyle
Administrative staff
2,194 FTE (2024; including 1,325 academic) [1]
Students1,755 (2023/24) [2]
Undergraduates 1,505 (2023/24) [2]
Postgraduates 245 (2023/24) [2]
Location
Edinburgh
,
Scotland
,
United Kingdom
CampusThe Medical School, Teviot Place
Chancellor's Building, RIE
Western General Hospital
Royal Hospital for Children and Young People
Colours Dark red, light red and pale yellow (or "liver, blood and pus")
Website www.ed.ac.uk/medicine-vet-medicine/edinburgh-medical-school
University of Edinburgh Medical School

The University of Edinburgh Medical School (also known as Edinburgh Medical School) is the medical school within the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

Contents

The medical school was established in 1726, during the Scottish Enlightenment, making it the oldest medical school in the United Kingdom and the oldest medical school in the English-speaking world.[ citation needed ]

The medical school is associated with 13 Nobel Prize laureates: 7 in the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and 6 in the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. [3] Graduates of the medical school have founded medical schools and universities all over the world including 5 out of the 7 Ivy League medical schools (Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Pennsylvania and Dartmouth), Vermont, McGill, Sydney, Montréal, the Royal Postgraduate Medical School (now part of Imperial College London), the Cape Town, Birkbeck, Middlesex Hospital and the London School of Medicine for Women (both now part of UCL).[ citation needed ]

History

Bust of Alexander Monro in Edinburgh's Old College Bust of Alexander Munro, Edinburgh University Old College.jpg
Bust of Alexander Monro in Edinburgh's Old College

Although the University of Edinburgh's Faculty of Medicine was not formally organised until 1726, medicine had been taught at Edinburgh since the beginning of the sixteenth century. Its formation was dependent on the incorporation of the Surgeons and Barber Surgeons, in 1505 and the foundation of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in 1681.[ citation needed ]

The University was modelled on the University of Bologna, but medical teaching was based on that of the sixteenth century University of Padua, and later on the University of Leiden (where most of the founding faculty had studied) in an attempt to attract foreign students, and maintain potential Scottish students in Scotland.[ citation needed ]

Since the Renaissance the primary facet of medical teaching here was anatomy and, therefore, Alexander Monro primus was appointed Professor of Anatomy in 1720. Later his son and grandson (both of the same name) would hold the position, establishing a reign of Professor Alexander Monros lasting 128 years. In subsequent years four further chairs completed the faculty allowing it to grant the qualification of Doctor of Medicine (MD) without the assistance of the Royal College of Physicians.[ citation needed ]

Success in the teaching of medicine and surgery through the eighteenth century was achieved thanks to the first teaching hospital, town physicians and the town guild of Barber Surgeons (later to become the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh). By 1764 the number of medical students was so great that a new 200-seat Anatomy Theatre was built in the College Garden. Throughout the 18th century until the First World War the Edinburgh Medical School was widely considered the best medical school in the English speaking world. [4]

Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh

Plaque on the site of the first Royal Infirmary First Royal Infirmary Plaque, Infirmary Street, Edinburgh.jpg
Plaque on the site of the first Royal Infirmary

The first voluntary hospital to be established in Scotland was the Edinburgh Infirmary for the Sick Poor, which was established both for charitable and teaching purposes. The project was led by Alexander Monro, supported by influential Edinburgh politician George Drummond who was keen to establish Edinburgh as a centre for medical excellence. [5] The Royal College of Physicians [5] conducted a fundraising appeal, attracting £2000 for the hospital by 1728. [5]

The Edinburgh Royal Infirmary began operating from a small house—leased from the University of Edinburgh [5] —which was located opposite the head of Robertson's Close, in today's Infirmary Street. Resident staff included a matron, one domestic servant, and volunteer physicians and surgeons who attended in fortnightly rotations. [5] Only four beds were available from 6 August 1729 and medical students' visits were limited to two tickets only per student (to prevent crowding).

Work began in 1738 [5] with William Adam as architect and in 1741, shortly after the foundation of the college, a 228-bed purpose-built hospital opened on land in what would become Infirmary Street, near Surgeons' Hall in Edinburgh. In addition to medical and surgical wards this new hospital included cells for lunatic patients and surgical operation theatre seats for 200 students. [5]

In the 1950s the University's general practice teaching unit was developed. [6] It became the world's first independent department of General Practice. [7]

Polish School of Medicine plaque Polish School of Medicine plaque, Edinburgh Medical School.jpg
Polish School of Medicine plaque

The Polish School of Medicine was established in 1941 as "a wartime testament to this spirit of enlightenment". Students were to be those drawn from the Polish army to Britain and were taught in Polish. Classes in pre-clinical subjects were held at the Medical School. Clinical teaching was carried out mainly at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in Lauriston Place. Former nurses' quarters in the grounds of the Western General were designated The Paderewski Hospital and used to provide care for members of the Polish armed forces and Polish civilians. [8]

The school was closed in September 1950. 336 students matriculated, of which 227 students graduated with the equivalent of an MBChB. A total of 19 doctors obtained a doctorate or MD. A bronze plaque commemorating the existence of the Polish School of Medicine is located in the Quadrangle of the Medical School in Teviot Place. [8]

21st century

In 2013, there were 2150 Home/EU applications for 190 Home/EU positions leading to an applicant to place ratio of 11 to 1. In addition, there were 715 overseas applications for 17 international spots, an applicant to place ratio of 42 to 1. [9]

In 2024, admissions to study medicine varies depending on the domicile of the applicant, with an offer rate of 68% (Scotland), 32% (rest of the UK and Ireland), and 8% (Overseas) for the 2023-24 admissions cycle. [10] The yield rate, the percentage of people who are accepted who choose to attend, is 71%. [11] The school requires the 4th highest entry grades in the UK according to the Guardian University Guide 2025. [12] The head of the medical since 2022 has been David Argyle. [13]

As of 2024, the school accepts 245 medical students per year from the United Kingdom and 20 students from around the world, including the European Union, the United States, and Canada. [14] In addition, the school has partnerships with the medical schools of the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and St Andrews. This allows students from Oxford, Cambridge, and St Andrews to complete their bachelor's degree at their respective institution and obtain their medical degree and clinical training at the University of Edinburgh. [15]

The medical school in 2025 was ranked 5th by the Complete University Guide, [16] 6th in the UK by The Guardian University Guide, [12] and 7th by The Times University Guide. [17] It also ranked 21st in the world by both the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the QS World University Rankings in the same year. [18] [19] According to a Healthcare Survey run by Saga in 2006, the medical school's main teaching hospital, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, was considered the best hospital in Scotland.

Edinburgh Model

The Edinburgh Model was a model of medical teaching developed by the University of Edinburgh in the 18th century and widely emulated around the world including at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and the McGill University Faculty of Medicine. It was a two-tiered education model, revolutionary and well suited to the medical system of the UK at the time. First, the model offered its students studies in all branches of science, not just medicine. According to Mary Hewson, "every branch of science was regularly taught, and drawn together so compactly from one to the other." [20] Edinburgh offered the most extensive selection of courses in any university in Britain.

Furthermore, it had a two-tiered education model which allowed a great number of students to matriculate, but allowed few to graduate. Students had to attend all lectures with the exception of midwifery (although it was strongly encouraged nonetheless), they had to study for at minimum 3 years, had to write a series of oral and written examinations in Latin and had to compose a Latin thesis and defend it before the whole faculty. Consequently, the majority of students attended Edinburgh with the intention of learning medicine for 1 year before leaving due to the costs of a degree and the fact that an MD degree was not required to practice medicine. Between 1765 and 1825, only 20% of Edinburgh students graduated with an MD. [20]

Later on this Edinburgh Model developed into a more formal university medical education curriculum, which was spread around the world by its graduates. In 1825, the years of medical education increased from three to four years and in 1833, English replaced Latin as the language of examination. [21]

Royal Medical Society

The Royal Medical Society, the medical student society at the University of Edinburgh, is the oldest medical society in the UK, founded in 1734. [22] It became known as 'the Royal Medical Society' from 1778 after it was awarded a Royal Charter, and remains the only student society in the UK to hold one. [23] It owns its own premises including a historical library, meeting hall, computer suite, lounge, kitchen and clinical skills resource centre. The Society was vital to the flourishing reputation of the Medical School through a network of distinguished members and teachers, and its atmosphere of open-minded, forward-thinking debate, tradition and social bonds.

To this day, the Society promotes its values of educational advancement through a wide variety of talks, tutorials and a national conference. It also runs a variety of social events including the infamous White Coat Pub Crawl during Freshers' Week, pub quizzes, a Burns Supper and the Presidents' Annual Dinner in the Royal College of Surgeons. [22] Members are entitled to apply for grants to fund their medical electives, managed by the RMS Trust, which is a registered charitable body. [24] The Society is run by a Council of student members and two permanent secretaries.

Overseas ties

The Edinburgh Medical School has very strong ties to the United States and Canada. Graduates of the medical school went on to found 5 out of the 7 Ivy League medical schools (Pennsylvania, Yale, Columbia, Harvard and Dartmouth). The McGill University Medical School in Montreal and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine were modelled after Edinburgh by Edinburgh graduates. Graduates became senators, representatives and participated in the American Revolutionary War. A great number of the early presidential physicians and surgeons general were trained at Edinburgh. The school runs the Scottish-Canadian Medical Programme jointly with the University of St Andrews School of Medicine and the University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry for Canadian students. [25]

People

Notable alumni

Faculty

List only includes faculty who were not graduates of the medical school. Faculty that were also graduates of the medical school are listed under alumni.

NameDepartmentNotabilityReference
Robert Sibbald Prof. of Medicine 1685–1722Scottish physician, first described the blue whale, founder of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
John Rutherford Prof. of Practice of Medicine 1726–1765Scottish physician, first to introduce clinical teaching in Edinburgh known as the "Edinburgh method"
William Cullen Prof. of Chemistry and Medicine 1755–1766, Prof. of Institutes of Medicine 1766–1773, Prof. of Medicine 1773–1790Scottish physician, first demonstrated artificial refrigeration, founder of the Glasgow Medical School, advocate of holistic medical consultation
Tristan Nichol Prof. of Chemistry and Medicine 1825-1835,Scottish physician, introduced Charles Darwin to biology, created a chart to display the varying sizes of the primary chancre in syphilis.
James Syme Regius Chair of Clinical Surgery 1833–1848, FRCS(Edin) 1823,Scottish surgeon, invented a technique for waterproofing fabrics, conducted the first exarticulation of the hip, known for Syme's amputation
Douglas Argyll Robertson Lecturer 1860–1893, Consultant Ophthalmologist 1870–1897Scottish ophthalmologist, described the Argyll Robertson pupil a sign of neurosyphilis [26]
Sir William Turner Prof. Anatomy 1867–1903, Principal of Edinburgh University 1903–1916Scottish anatomist, President of the Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Joseph Lister Regius Chair of Clinical Surgery 1869–1877, FRCS(Edin) 1855,English surgeon, developed antiseptic surgery using carbolic acid to sterilise surgical instruments
Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer Chair of Physiology 1883–1933English physiologist, regarded as the founder of endocrinology, discovered adrenaline, coined the terms endocrine and insulin
George Barger Prof. Chemistry in Relation to Medicine 1919–1937,British chemist, identified tyramine, contributed to the synthesis of thyroxine and Vitamin B1
Vincent du Vigneaud National Research Council Fellow 1928–1929,American biochemist, discovered oxytocin, awarded the 1955 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
John Gaddum Chair of Materia Medica 1942–1958,British pharmacologist, discovered Substance P, a neuropeptide
James Learmonth Regius Chair of Surgery 1939–1956,Scottish surgeon, performed lumbar sympathectomy on King George VI to treat his vascular disease
Alexander Fleming Rector 1951–1954,Scottish biologist, discovered penicillin, awarded the 1945 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
John Crofton Prof. Respiratory Disease and Tuberculosis 1952–1977, Dean of Medicine 1964–1966, Vice Principal of the University 1969–1970British physician, pioneered the treatment of tuberculosis, which was known as the Edinburgh method. [27]
Michael Woodruff Chair of Surgical Science 1957–1976,British transplant surgeon, performed the first ever kidney transplant in the UK at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in 1960.
John Forfar Edward Clark Professor of Child Life and Health 1964–1983,British paediatrician, President of the British Paediatric Association (1985–1988) and awarded the Military Cross during the Second World War
Edwin Southern Post-doctoral researcher MRC Mammalian Genome Unit 1967–1985Developed the Southern blot, founder of Oxford Gene Technology, received the 2005 Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research [28]
Robert Evan Kendell Chair of Psychiatry 1973–1990, Dean of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine 1990–1994Welsh psychiatrist, Chief Medical Officer of Scotland from 1991 to 1996 [29]
Richard G. Morris Wolfson Professor of Neuroscience 1986–present, FRS 1997, CBE 2007Scottish neuroscientist, developed the Morris water navigation task
Andrew H. Wyllie Prof. Experimental Pathology 1992–1998, FRS 1995,Scottish pathologist, discovered the importance of programmed cell death and coined the term apoptosis
Edvard Moser Post-doctoral researcher 1994–1996,Norwegian neuroscientist, discovered entorhinal grid cells, awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
May-Britt Moser Post-doctoral researcher 1994–1996,Norwegian neuroscientist, discovered entorhinal grid cells, awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Adrian Bird Buchanan Professor of Genetics 1990–presentLed the team that discovered CpG Islands and MECP2, received the 2016 Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine
John Savill Prof. Medicine 1998–present, Dean of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine 2002–presentScottish physician, CEO of the Medical Research Council 2010–present
Sir Ian Wilmut Prof. Emeritus 2006–present, FRS(Edin) 2000Scottish embryologist, first to clone a mammal, a Finn Dorset lamb named Dolly, received the 2008 Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine
Jamie A. Davies Chair of Experimental Anatomy 2007–presentBritish embryologist and synthetic biologist, first to grow a kidney from self-organizing stem cells
Clare Blackburn Chair of Tissue Stem Cell Biology 2011–presentBritish embryologist, first to grow a whole organ, a thymus, inside an animal

References

  1. ↑ "Staff Population Statistics - Data as of 20/12/2024" (PDF). Human Resources, The University of Edinburgh. December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Factsheet of Student Figures, 2023/24: Introduction" (PDF). The University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  3. ↑ "Nobel Prizes". University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  4. ↑ "Edinburgh 1880–1914" (PDF). Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Blackden, Stephanie (1981). A Tradition of Excellence: A Brief History of Medicine in Edinburgh. Edinburgh: Duncan, Flockhart & Co. Ltd. p. 9.
  6. ↑ "£25,000 Grant to University. Medical Teaching Unit". The Glasgow Herald. 10 October 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  7. ↑ Thomson, Donald M. (January 1984). "General practice and the Edinburgh Medical School: 200 years of teaching, care and research". British Journal of General Practice. 34 (258): 9–12. PMC   1959640 . PMID   6363687.
  8. 1 2 "The Polish School of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh (1941–1949)". University of Edinburgh. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  9. ↑ "Entry Requirements". University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  10. ↑ "Undergraduate admissions statistics". The University of Edinburgh. 22 July 2024.
  11. ↑ "2012–2013 Undergraduate Admissions Statistics" (PDF). University of Edinburgh. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  12. 1 2 "The best UK universities 2025 – rankings: Medicine". The Guardian. London. 7 September 2024.
  13. ↑ "Appointment: David Argyle". The University of Edinburgh. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  14. ↑ "University of Edinburgh Medicine". www.ed.ac.uk. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  15. ↑ "Transfers". September 2023.
  16. ↑ "Medicine Subject League Table 2025". Complete University Guide. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  17. ↑ "UK University Rankings 2025: League table: Medicine". The Times. London. 20 September 2024.
  18. ↑ "World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Medical and Health". Times Higher Education (THE). 15 January 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  19. ↑ "QS World University Rankings for Life Sciences & Medicine 2024". Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd. 5 March 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  20. 1 2 Rosner, Lisa (1992). "Thistle on the Delaware: Edinburgh Medical Education and Philadelphia Practice, 1800–1825". Social History of Medicine. 5 (1): 19–42. doi:10.1093/shm/5.1.19. PMID   11612775.
  21. ↑ Correira, Janine. "Edinburgh, the Scottish pioneers of anatomy and their lasting influence in South Africa" . Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  22. 1 2 "Royal Medical Society". Archived from the original on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  23. ↑ "RMS – About". RMS. Archived from the original on 5 May 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  24. ↑ "RMS Travel and Study".
  25. ↑ "Scottish – Canadian Medical Programme" (PDF). University of St Andrews. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  26. ↑ Timoney, P. J; Breathnach, C. S. (13 January 2010). "Douglas Argyll Robertson (1837–1909) and his pupil". Irish Journal of Medical Science. 179 (1): 119–121. doi:10.1007/s11845-009-0460-z. PMID   20069387. S2CID   1650651.
  27. ↑ "Obituaries: Sir John Weynman Crofton". Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. 9 September 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  28. ↑ "Edwin Southern, DNA blotting, and microarray technology: A case study of the shifting role of patents in academic molecular biology" (PDF). LSSP Journal. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  29. ↑ "Nobel prize winners". University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 10 August 2013.

Further reading

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