Learning to Heal: The Development of American Medical Education

The development of American medical education involved a conceptual revolution in how medical students should be taught. With the introduction of laboratory and hospital work, students were expected to be active participants in their learning process, and the new goal of medical training was to foster critical thinking rather than the memorization of facts. In Learning to Heal, Kenneth Ludmerer offers the definitive account of the rise of the modern medical school and the shaping of the medical profession.

Kenneth M. Ludmerer, M.D., is assistant professor of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, and assistant professor of history, Washington University.