Meharry Medical College facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Meharry Medical College

Former names	Medical Department of Central Tennessee College
Motto	Worship of God through Service to Mankind
Type	Private historically black medical school
Established	1876; 149 years ago (1876)
Religious affiliation	United Methodist Church
Academic affiliation	ORAU
Endowment	$156.7 million (2020)
President	James E. K. Hildreth
Students	956 (Fall 2021)
Location	Nashville , Tennessee , United States 36°10′01″N 86°48′25″W / 36.167°N 86.807°W / 36.167; -86.807

Meharry Medical College is a private medical school in Nashville, Tennessee. It's known as a historically black institution, meaning it was founded to educate African Americans. The school is connected to the United Methodist Church.

Meharry started in 1876 as part of Central Tennessee College. It was the very first medical school for African Americans in the Southern United States. Back then, many Black people in the South couldn't go to most colleges or universities because of unfair rules.

In 1915, Meharry Medical College became its own separate school. Today, it's the biggest private historically black school in the United States that focuses only on training health care professionals and scientists. Meharry has always welcomed students of all backgrounds and has never been segregated.

Meharry Medical College has several different schools. These include the School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, School of Allied Health Professions, and the School of Graduate Studies and Research. It also has the Harold R. West Basic Sciences Center. Students can earn degrees like Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) to become doctors, or Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) to become dentists. They can also get advanced degrees like a Master of Science in Public Health (M.S.P.H.) or a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in science.

Meharry trains more African-American doctors and dentists than almost any other school in the U.S. It also helps more Black students earn Ph.D.s in biomedical sciences than any other college.

The Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved is a health journal that Meharry Medical College owns and edits. About 76% of Meharry graduates work as doctors in communities that don't have enough health care. The school teaches its students to understand and help fix health differences that exist among different groups of people.

The Story of Meharry Medical College

Central Tennessee College (CTC), where Meharry Medical College started, in 1895.

Meharry Medical College was one of six medical schools started in Tennessee between 1876 and 1900. These schools began after the Civil War, when slavery ended. At that time, there were very few African-American doctors. Many formerly enslaved people needed health care, but most hospitals wouldn't accept them. Also, many white doctors often chose not to treat Black patients.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, most medical schools accepted very few, if any, African-American students. To help with this problem, people like Samuel Meharry and groups like the Medical Association of Colored Physicians started medical schools just for African Americans.

How Meharry Got Its Name

The college is named after Samuel Meharry. He was a young Irish American immigrant who worked as a salt trader. When he was young, a family of formerly enslaved people helped him. Meharry reportedly told them, "I have no money, but when I can I shall do something for your race." Later, he and his four brothers made a big donation to help start the college.

Starting the Medical School

In 1875, students at Central Tennessee College (CTC) asked their president, John Braden, about starting a medical school. Braden talked to Samuel Meharry about the idea. In 1875, Samuel Meharry and his four brothers gave $15,000 to help create a medical department at CTC. CTC was a historically black college in Nashville, Tennessee.

With help from the Freedman's Aid Society and others, the Medical College at CTC opened in 1876. It started with nine students. The first classes were held in the basement of a church. The medical program was first two years long. They added a third year in 1879 and a fourth year in 1893.

Dr. George W. Hubbard was the first president of the medical college. The first student graduated in 1877. By 1896, about half of all "regularly educated physicians" in the South had graduated from Meharry.

Growing the College

• In 1886, a Dental Department was added.
• In 1889, a Pharmacy Department was founded.
• A nurse-training school started in 1900–1901.
• Mercy Hospital, a training hospital, was built in 1901–1902. It was later replaced and named the George W. Hubbard Hospital in 1916.

In 1915, the medical department of Walden University became its own independent school, Meharry Medical College. The college stayed in its original buildings.

In 1923, the American Medical Association (AMA) recognized Meharry as a "grade-A institution." This meant it was a top-quality medical school. Meharry also trained many women doctors for that time. By 1920, 39 women had graduated.

Modern Meharry

Since it started, Meharry Medical College has added many advanced programs in science, medicine, and public health.

• The School of Graduate Studies and Research began in 1938.
• The first master's degree program, a Master of Science in Public Health, started in 1947.
• In the 1950s, the nursing and dental technology schools closed.
• The department of Psychiatry was created in 1961.
• In the 1960s, Meharry began to focus on helping with health differences.
• In 1968, Meharry created the Matthew Walker Health Center to provide health services to the community.
• Also in 1968, the school added a Ph.D. degree in basic sciences.

By the late 1960s and early 1970s, 83 percent of all African American doctors had been trained at Meharry Medical College and Howard University School of Medicine.

In 1981, Meharry faced some challenges with its accreditation. This was because there weren't enough patients in its hospital for students to practice on. Also, there were too many students for each teacher. In 1983, the school was allowed to work with patients in nearby hospitals. This helped the college get its full accreditation back. By 1986, about 46 percent of all Black faculty members in medical schools had graduated from Meharry.

In 1994, the Hubbard Hospital closed and was later renovated. It reopened in 1997 as the new Metropolitan Nashville General Hospital. This helped bring money to the school. In 1999, the college started working with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

In 2017, Meharry partnered with Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). This agreement allows Meharry's medical students to get hands-on training at HCA's TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center.

In 2020, Michael Bloomberg donated $34 million to Meharry. This was the largest gift in the school's history. It helps students with their debt. In 2022, MacKenzie Scott also donated $20 million to Meharry.

Meharry's Leaders

George W. Hubbard was Meharry Medical College's first president. He served from 1876 until 1921.

The second president was John J. Mullowney, who served from 1921 to 1938. He made changes to improve Meharry's academic rating. He made admission rules stricter and expanded the number of teachers and hospital facilities. Two years after he took over, Meharry Medical College received an 'A' rating.

Later presidents include:

• Edward Lewis Turner (1938–1944)
• M. Don Clawson (1944–1950)
• Harold D. West (1952–1966)
• Lloyd C. Elam (1968–1981)
• Richard G. Lester (1981–1982)
• David Satcher (1982–1993)
• John E. Maupin (1994–2006)
• Wayne J. Riley (2006–2013)
• A. Cherrie Epps (2013–2015)
• James E.K. Hildreth (2015–present)

In 1952, Meharry welcomed its first African-American president, Dr. Harold D. West. He raised $20 million, which helped him add a new wing to the hospital and buy land for the campus to grow.

Research at Meharry

Meharry Medical College spends a lot on research. Between 2013 and 2017, the school spent $96 million on research. The school has a special department for Graduate Studies and Research.

Some of the research centers at Meharry include:

• Asthma Disparities Center
• Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neurosciences
• Center for Women's Health Research
• Clinical Research Center
• Export Center for Health Disparities
• Meharry Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV
• Sickle Cell Center

BS/MD Program

Meharry partners with ten universities to help their best pre-med students prepare for medical school. These universities are: Alabama A&M University, Albany State University, Alcorn State University, Fisk University, Grambling University, Hampton University, Jackson State University, Southern University, Tennessee State University, and Virginia Union University.

Famous Meharry Graduates

Dr. Audrey Manley, Deputy Surgeon General of the United States, 1995–1997.

Dr. Corey Hébert

Dr. Lloyd Tevis Miller

Many important people have graduated from Meharry Medical College. Here are a few: