Medical College of Wisconsin Celebrates 120th Anniversary

The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) will celebrate its 120th year of medical education, Monday, May 20, with a reception on campus. The school was founded in 1893 as the Wisconsin College of Physicians and Surgeons. On January 14, 1913, the Wisconsin College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Milwaukee Medical College merged to become the Marquette University School of Medicine.

The only private medical school in Wisconsin, MCW now graduates 200 new physicians every year. The biomedical graduate school offers PhD, MA, MS, and MPH degrees, as well as several graduate certificate programs.

Along with education, MCW’s missions include caring for patients, discovering and translating new medical knowledge, and improving community health. More than 1,350 physicians and 500 health care practitioners provide care to more than 425,000 patients at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Hospital and the Zablocki VA Medical Center.

MCW faculty contribute to the scientific community annually through research. Some landmark discoveries from MCW include:

1939: Dr. Edgar End developed the first SCUBA devices used by deep sea divers.

1986: Dr. Ahmed Kissebah identified variances in body fat distribution (apple versus pear shape) that create increased risks for diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

1992: Dr. James Hyde, with colleagues at Harvard and University of Minnesota, developed a new technology, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

1994: Dr. Kevin Kelly identified latex as a potentially lethal threat to health care workers and chronically exposed children.

2001: Dr. Anne Hoch identified the female athlete triad, in which female athletes experiencing amenorrhea were found to also be at high risk for cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

2005: Dr. Rodney Willoughby successfully treated rabies for the first time; the Milwaukee Protocol is now used worldwide.

2010: A team led by Dr. Howard Jacob sequenced a boy’s DNA to identify and successfully treat his rare disease.

In fiscal year 2011-12, faculty received more than $152 million in external support for research.

A special presentation hosted by T. Michael Bolger, J.D., president emeritus of MCW, will be held in the Kerrigan Auditorium in the Health Resource Center, followed by a reception in the lobby outside the cafeteria. Media are invited to attend.