The Society's Namesake
During the height of his career, Dr. William Osler was one of the most well-known physicians throughout North America and the United Kingdom. Osler is most known for transforming the organization and curriculum of the education of university medical students. Through his emphasis on clinical experience, compassionate patient interaction, and an authoritative and comprehensive medical textbook (The Principles and Practice of Medicine, 1892), Osler significantly improved the practices in how future doctors are trained.
After receiving his medical degree from McGill University, he returned shortly after to teach physiology, pathology, and medicine. Osler is also known for taking on roles such as the first Professor of Medicine at John Hopkins University, the Chair of Medicine at the University of Oxford, and one of the founding members of the Association of American Physicians. Osler is credited for identifying three different conditions (Osler’s nodes, Osler-Vaquez disease, and Osler-Rendu-Weber disease), as well as being one of the first pathologists to recognize the existence of platelets in the blood.