UW School of Medicine and Public Health

Robert La Follette was serving as a Wisconsin Senator in 1907. What else happened the year the UW School of Medicine opened its doors?

In the fall of 1907, eight students interested in becoming doctors matriculated in the new College of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin. The two-year curriculum consisted entirely of basic science classes. A handful of faculty members - either “borrowed” from the College of Letters and Science or recently hired for the new college - taught the students anatomy, physiology, physiological chemistry, pathology and pharmacology.

From those humble beginnings and in an eventful span of 100 years the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (UWSMPH) has evolved. Today UWSMPH features a deep and broad four-year curriculum emphasizing the importance of problem-solving and life-long learning which provides students clinical experiences from the first days at medical school, as well as an array of opportunities to delve into research. Most classes are held in the new state-of-the-art Health Sciences Learning Center and clinical instruction takes place in the nationally recognized UW Hospital and Clinics and many other facilities.

Join us in celebrating UWSMPH’s centennial anniversary and its place as a national and statewide leader in educating physicians, investigating the causes of disease, exploring innovative solutions to medical problems and translating research into compassionate patient care.