Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

For over 180 years, the School of Medicine has been at the forefront of biomedical discoveries and training the next generation of physicians and scientists. K.

The Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has trained medical students, served the community and been at the forefront of discovery for more than 175 years. Located in downtown Cleveland, the Medical Department of Western Reserve College (also known as Cleveland Medical College) was founded in 1843. By 1865, the medical school's graduates included Nancy Talbot Clarke, the second woman

to graduate from an American medical school, six of the first seven female physicians in the United States and the third African American to graduate from medical school. The Western Reserve College Medical Department's reputation as a leader in medical education continued to grow. In a 1911 survey of 155 North American medical schools commissioned by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Abraham Flexner reported that the Western Reserve University medical school was second only to Johns Hopkins University. Forty years later, the Western Reserve University School of Medicine revolutionized medical education with a new curriculum that integrated the basic and clinical sciences and conformed to students' needs. Created by faculty members Dr. Joseph Wearn, Dr. T. Hale Ham and Dr. John L. Caughey Jr., the curriculum of 1952 became the most progressive medical curriculum in the country at the time. Central themes included the following ideas: teaching should be based on problem solving; students should accept responsibility for their own education; basic principles of medicine should be emphasized; curriculum should be designed as a continuum by faculty subject committees not by departments; teaching should be interdisciplinary; and basic sciences should be integrated with clinical sciences. The tenets of the 1952 curriculum remain basic principles of today's Western Reserve2 curriculum. In addition to being one of the foremost medical schools, the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has established itself as a research powerhouse. The School of Medicine's research program began in 1887 with the construction of the H. Cushing Laboratory and the Physiological Laboratory in downtown Cleveland. Since then, faculty and alumni have accomplished major achievements in the medical field. Highlights include development of the modern technique for human blood transfusions, the process of chlorinating drinking water and an early heart-lung machine used during open-heart surgery; discovery of the Hageman factor in blood clotting and of the gene for osteoarthritis; the first surgical treatments of coronary artery disease; and creation of the world's first human artificial chromosome. Today, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is one of the nation's top 25 medical schools and the largest biomedical research institution in Ohio. Among its former and current faculty and alumni are eight Nobel laureates, two members of the National Academy of Sciences, two U.S. Surgeon Generals and the first woman director of the Center for Disease Control, and six members of the Institute of Medicine, including the school's current dean, Pamela B. Davis, MD, PhD.

06/22/2026

CWRU receives highest possible ranking in Forbes’ ‘America’s College Financial Grades’ report | CWRU Newsroom | Case Western Reserve University Across the United States, headlines tell the story of tumultuous economic circumstances impacting many private higher education institutions. While th...

06/17/2026

Business Insider magazine ranks Case Western Reserve University No. 1 for graduate earnings in Ohio | CWRU Newsroom | Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University graduates earn a higher median income than those at any other college in Ohio, according to a new analysis by Busines...

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06/15/2026

A season-ending injury as senior captain could have been the end of Ansh Shah's tennis career 🎾 Instead, it gave him one more season—this time as a medical student.

Last month, Shah was recognized with the NCAA Division III Elite Scholar-Athlete Award for men's tennis, honoring the highest GPA among players at the national championship. It's the fifth straight year a CWRU men's tennis player has taken home the honor.

Check it out: https://brnw.ch/21x3mEy

06/13/2026

ICYMI: More than 200 faculty members and leaders from CWRU School of Medicine and its affiliated healthcare institutions gathered for the Women Faculty School of Medicine Spring Dinner 2026. The evening honored faculty achievements and the lasting impact of mentorship, sponsorship and collaboration in shaping the future of academic medicine.

Meet a researcher uncovering how viruses replicate in unexpected places | CWRU Newsroom | Case Western Reserve University

06/11/2026

For Eric Gibbs, a postdoctoral researcher at CWRU School of Medicine, a mysterious virus became the focus of groundbreaking research 🔬

Working with collaborators from the The University of Toledo and Kyoto University, Gibbs helped capture the first detailed 3D structure of the Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) RNA polymerase complex, offering new insight into how the virus replicates. Learn more:

Meet a researcher uncovering how viruses replicate in unexpected places | CWRU Newsroom | Case Western Reserve University A virus that can invade the brain and cause fatal neurological disease has long puzzled scientists because it replicates in a place most viruses avoid...

Meet a CWRU leader and researcher who aims to find a cure for colon cancer | CWRU Newsroom | Case Western Reserve University

06/09/2026

Zhenghe “John” Wang, chair of the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, is leading research focused on improving early detection and developing new treatments for colorectal cancer.

His work targets key genetic changes linked to tumor growth and explores new therapeutic approaches currently in clinical trials. Check it out:

Meet a CWRU leader and researcher who aims to find a cure for colon cancer | CWRU Newsroom | Case Western Reserve University Zhenghe “John” Wang, PhDProfessor and Chair of the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicin...

CWRU School of Medicine celebrates historic commencement | CWRU Newsroom | Case Western Reserve University

06/04/2026

CWRU School of Medicine celebrated a milestone commencement last month, conferring degrees upon 229 new physicians—the largest graduating class in the school's history 🎓 Read more about the historic commencement:

CWRU School of Medicine celebrates historic commencement | CWRU Newsroom | Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine marked a milestone weekend in May, celebrating the accomplishments of graduates across its Doctor o...

06/04/2026

Congratulations to the CWRU Master of Science in Anesthesia students at our locations in Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Austin and Houston who recently received their white coats and marked an important milestone in their medical educations 🥼

06/03/2026

The annual PA program breakfast brought together the Classes of '26, '27, and '28 for a morning of connection, mentorship, and community ☕️🥯

06/03/2026

New research connects climate change to increasing heat-related heart disease nationally | CWRU Newsroom | Case Western Reserve University A new study by researchers at Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center predicts risin...

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Location

Cleveland

Contact the school

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Telephone

(216) 368-2000

Website

http://case.edu/medicine

Address

10900 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH
44106