Talk:Royal Medical Society

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oldest medical society

Latest comment: 5 years ago2 comments2 people in discussion

Surely the oldest medical society in the UK is the Society of Apothecaries of London incorporated by royal charter 1617 - a society for doctors and other medical practitioners which has the "right" to award medical degrees. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kinigi (talk • contribs) 15:51, 17 January 2010 (UTC)Reply

I would question whether the Society of Apothecaries could be described as a "medical society" when they separated from the Grocers' Company in 1617, as they included those who merely sold drugs and did not include physicians or surgeons, the medical profession in the capital being at that time more divided than it was in the provinces. They never awarded degrees: the Licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries was authorized by parliament as a medical qualification in 1815, and latterly awarded by the United Examining Board until it was wound up in 1999, and the General Medical Council withdrew recognition in 2008. As a Livery Company the Society remains a very narrow, self-selecting group.

The Royal College of Physicians of London goes back to 1518: their Membership is mainly obtained by examination but the meetings are limited to the Fellows, who are a similarly select group.

The Royal College of Surgeons of England may originate from a Guild of Surgeons founded in 1368. Entry is again by specialist examinations, but meetings are not confined to an elite: however they are not open to the medical profession at large.

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, founded as a "Faculty" in 1599, has a broader remit but those who meet there have all passed specialist examinations, unlike members of a medical society. NRPanikker (talk) 19:08, 11 December 2018 (UTC)Reply

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