| Today's Feinberg School began in 1859 as the medical department of Lind University and became Chicago Medical College in 1864. Affiliation with Northwestern University took place in 1870.
Founded on the ideals of reforming the medical education system in the mid-19th century, Northwestern led the way in advancing the education and training of physicians. At this tiime, a student could enter almost any medical school at will and earn a degree by attending two sets of identical lectures, presenting a thesis, and passing an oral examination. The medical school's founders found this education woefully inadequate. They rebelled against convention and demanded an extended program, correlated hospital instruction, a graded curriculum, and rigorous requirements for graduation. Most U.S. medical colleges lagged behind Northwestern's innovations in medical education, and more than 40 years passed before other institutions began adopting the advances the medical school introduced during its first decade. Groundbreaking educational reform has occurred throughout the school's history. For example, Northwestern instituted selective admission standards and offered laboratory work and formal courses on bacteriology when the germ theory of disease was still disputed. In the 1960s, the medical school premiered two programs that have become common features at many institutions. The Honors Program in Medical Education, founded in 1961, was one of the first combined baccalaureate–medical degree programs in the country. In 1963 Northwestern became one of the first three medical schools to receive a grant from the National Institutes of Health establishing the Medical Scientist Training Program, a combined MD/PhD degree program. The medical school remains committed to educating well-rounded and highly competent physicians through educational reform. A major curriculum change in 1993 was the inauguration of active learning formats such as seminars, problem-based learning groups, and laboratories in the first and second years of medical school. These formats promote collaborative as well as independent study. Changes in the third- and fourth-year curriculum were implemented in the 2001–02 academic year and are ongoing. They range from extending the formal emphasis on professional growth and development to providing opportunities for students to teach other medical students. Learning and teaching as they go prepares medical students for their future leadership roles. In 2002 Northwestern University Medical School was renamed Feinberg School of Medicine to recognize the generosity of the Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation.
Honors Program in Medical Education Medical Scientist Training Program a combined MD/PhD program Education Medical Student Curriculum and Course Schedules Medical School Renamed Feinberg School of Medicine | 
