The story of the Mercer University School of Medicine is both inspiring and compelling. Rarely in the annals of higher education has a dream so remote and an idea so right come to fruition because of the resolute commitment of individuals who, for differing reasons, devoted themselves to the realization of an unlikely dream. While this story includes drama, intrigue, and uncertainty, it is mostly a story fueled by hope and vision. This book is a compilation of first-person accounts and narrative histories that combine to tell the story of a most remarkable school that trains physicians to provide health care to Georgia and the South.

The Indiana University School of Medicine: A History tells the story of the school and its faculty and students in fascinating detail. Founded in the early 20th century, the Indiana University School of Medicine went on to become a leading medical facility, preparing students for careers in medicine and providing healthcare across Indiana. Historian William Schneider draws on a treasure trove of historical images and documents, to recount how the school began life as the Medical Department in 1903, and later became the Indiana University School of Medicine, which was established as a full four-year school after merging with two private schools in 1908. Thanks to state support and local philanthropy, it quickly added new hospitals, which by the 1920s made it the core of a medical center for the city of Indianapolis and the only medical school in the state. From modest beginnings, and the challenges of the Great Depression and the Second World War, the medical school has grown to meet the demands of every generation, becoming the leading resource for not only the education of physicians and for the conducting of medical research but also for the care and treatment of patients at the multi-hospital medical center. Today, the school boasts an annual income of over $1.5 billion, with over 2,000 full-time faculty teaching 1,350 MD students, and over $250 million in external research funding.

This book examines the health/fitness interaction in an historical context. Beginning in primitive hunter-gatherer communities, where survival required adequate physical activity, it goes on to consider changes in health and physical activity at subsequent stages in the evolution of “civilization.” It focuses on the health impacts of a growing understanding of medicine and physiology, and the emergence of a middle-class with the time and money to choose between active and passive leisure pursuits. The book reflects on urbanization and industrialization in relation to the need for public health measures, and the ever-diminishing physical demands of the work-place. It then evaluates the attitudes of prelates, politicians, philosophers and teachers at each stage of the process. Finally, the book explores professional and governmental initiatives to increase public involvement in active leisure through various school, worksite, recreational and sports programmes.

The Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of only four predominantly Black medical schools in the United States. Among its illustrious alumni are surgeons general of the United States, medical school presidents, and numerous other highly regarded medical professionals. This book tells the engrossing history of this venerable institution. The school was founded just after the civil rights era, when major barriers prevented minorities from receiving adequate health care and Black students were underrepresented in predominantly White medical schools. The Morehouse School of Medicine was conceived to address both problems—it was a minority-serving institution educating doctors who would practice in underserved communities. The school's history involves political maneuvering, skilled leadership, dedication to training African American physicians, and a mission of primary care in disadvantaged communities. Highlighting such influential leaders as former Health and Human Services Secretary Louis W. Sullivan, The Morehouse Mystique situates the school in the context of the history of medical education for Blacks and race relations throughout the country. The book features excerpts from personal interviews with prominent African American doctors as well as with former presidents Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush, who reveal how local, state, and national politics shaped the development of Black medical schools in the United States. The story of the Morehouse School of Medicine reflects the turbulent time in which it was founded and the lofty goals and accomplishments of a diverse group of African American leaders. Their tireless efforts in creating this eminent Black institution changed the landscape of medical education and the racial and ethnic makeup of physicians and health care professions.

The Total Hip Replacement was invented by British surgeons after World War Two. It became the basis of a multi-billion global industry in joint replacement. This pioneering study ranges from inventive surgeons to multi-national manufacturers and explores total hip replacement in the very different health economies of the UK and the US.