Abraham Flexner and Modern Medicine

Abraham Flexner is a prominent figure in the history of modern medicine within the United States. He played a key role in introducing modern methods of teaching medicine in the United States. A report he published in 1908 criticized the quality of teaching medicine and the prestige of the 155 medical colleges at that time. He proposed two ways to revolutionize modern medicine. One way was to reduce the number of medical schools to 31. The other way was to ensure that medical schools are committed to medical research and academic excellence. Abraham Flexner’s ideas also had a heavy affect on American homeopathy. Among the main recommendations given in the Flexner report, there was a requirement that the curriculum of medical schools be based on generally accepted classical practice, which, in fact, put an end to the education of homeopathy in major hospitals.