Existing comment:
Sir William Osler 1849–1919
The Canadian physician William Osler transformed medical education on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1889, he was appointed physician-in-chief at the recently founded Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he helped create the university's school of medicine. Osler introduced the now-standard U.S. system of internships and residencies, which augments theoretical study with firsthand experience at the patient's bedside. He became a friend of Sargent's in 1905, after sitting for the artist's monumental group portrait of important physicians.
Osler was also a prolific author, book collector, and supporter of libraries in North America and Great Britain. His most famous book, The Principles and Practice of Medicine (1892) served as a standard reference work for many decades. Translated into six languages, it established Osler as the world's leading authority in the teaching of modern medicine. His personal library forms the nucleus of McGill University's Osler Library of the History of Medicine.
Charcoal on paper, 1914
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
This is the National Portrait Gallery sign in the exhibit. |