Ohio State College of Medicine

 The Ohio State University College of Medicine lineage goes back to the Willoughby University of Lake Erie, founded in 1834 in Willoughby, Ohio a small settlement by Lake Erie. Dr. Westel Willoughby (1798-1844) was the school's founder and first president.  It is noteworthy that Ohio was a new State at that time with a population of about 937,000.  In 1846, the institution moved to Columbus an was chartered as Willoughby Medical College of Columbus in 1847 and in 1876 to Columbus Medical University . 

In 1907, it merged with Starling Medical College to form Starling-Ohio Medical College.  Almost immediately upon opening, the school was contacted by a wealthy business owner Lyne Starling, who offered $35,000 to construct a new hospital and school complex in Columbus.  The concept of a hospital dedicated to teaching medical students was groundbreaking at that time.  This institution transferred all its assets to the Ohio State University in 1914, forming the modern Ohio State College of Medicine.  In 1916, the Columbus Children's Hospital (now Nationwide Children's Hospital) affiliated with the Ohio State College of Medicine.

Early in the 20th century the college establishes its presence on the OSU campus by including Hamilton and Kinsman Halls, and the Starling-Loving University Hospital.

During WWII the college introduced a two-year pathway to a medical degree in order to address wartime needs.  In 1970, the college launched an independent study program in medical education which was extended to three years , and then four years in 1980s.  In the 20th and 21st centuries the College of Medicine expanded its research and education by hiring well known scholars. Today, the Ohio State College of Medicine continues to be a leader in medical education, research, and patient care, with a focus on cutting edge advancements and innovative programs.

Walking through the doors of the old hospital at OSUMC in the spring of 1992, as a visiting professor, I felt both excited and overwhelmed. My first impression was that it was massive.  Clinics, hospitals, research buildings, staff, resident and student traffic.  Later in the fall when I was hired to become the chairman of radiology, I felt like stepping into both the future and the familiar.  The future because the technology here was world-class from a high field 1.5 Tesla magnet built in a new outpatient suite, and the familiar because from day one, the people reminded me why I chose academic medicine in the first place.  In my first few weeks at OSUMC, I realized that the department doesn't just interpret images, but we were deeply embedded in patient care, education and innovation. One of my first impressions was how collaborative this place was when in our noon conference, my lecture about "Splenic Embolization", a treatment I had developed at the University of Illinois in the 70s, the staff of the department and those of other departments had an open mind and were willing to try it in order to benefit their patients.  I came to OSUCM for the opportunity to assist in the further advancement of imaging, intervention and research and the chance to shape the next generation of radiologists.  I stayed until I retired because of the people - the culture of excellence                            and the commitment to patient care.

                Authored by D. G. Spigos M.D, Professor Emeritus, 

             at the Ohio State University and West Attica University.

This post is dedicated to the faculty, the residents, the fellows and students during my tenure as the Chairman of the Department of Radiology from 1992 to 2004.  I would like to mention and thank two individuals in particular; the late Dr. Charles Mueller who was the Acting Chairman and the person who invited me as a visiting professor and Dr. Manuel Tzagournis who was the Dean and the person who recruited, and guided me when he appointed me as the Chairman of Radiology.