During the colonial era, most American doctors were trained in Europe or had been apprenticed to those who had. Most were educated men from higher social classes. But most people did not consult doctors, who charged high fees, instead many relied on home remedies or local healers.

Still, the physician was admired and respected in the years before the Revolution. After independence the character of the physician changed. They lost their special social status.

The 18th century refers to the 1700s.

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PERSPECTIVE

Small hospitals were opened in:

Philadelphia in 1752

New York in 1771

Boston in 1811

America gained independence from the British Empire on

July 4, 1776

Edward Jenner develops a smallpox vaccination in 1796

Benjamin Waterhouse brought smallpox vaccination to the states in 1800.

Minimally-trained doctors began to open their own medical schools as moneymaking ventures. To entice students they eliminated most of the academic requirements that had been traditional.

They seldom offered any laboratory experience or taught anatomy or even required literacy for admission. To compete, even the colleges with medical schools reduced their requirements.

What Did That Lead to?

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