Becoming MD

In September 1969, the first 20 students began at McMaster’s new School of Medicine. Dubbed in the local press as “pioneers” in the “great McMaster experiment,” these students were the first in a radically new kind of medical school. It accepted students from a non-science background, emphasized problem-based learning and small-group tutorials, had no discipline-specific courses, and peer and tutorial leader evaluations replaced exams. Over its 50 year history, the “McMaster experiment” has proven highly successful. The school has become consistently ranked within the top 50 medical schools in the world and garnered international renown for both its educational innovations and high-impact research.

In celebration of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine's 50^th anniversary, this exhibition traces the experiences of students in the undergraduate education program from acceptance through to graduation and residency. Photographs, documents, and artifacts from the Health Sciences Archives are brought together with alumni anecdotes to share a glimpse of what it is like to be a student on the path to becoming a MD in this illustrious program.