From the "refounding" to present Geisel School of Medicine

mary hitchcock memorial hospital (right), circa 1915.

at time of probation, dartmouth college had anticipated medical school s plight, amassing capital fund revitalization of school. in 1956, trustees of college formally agreed refounding of school s academic offerings, physical facilities, , faculty. s. marsh tenney, dms class of 1944, appointed carry out task. tenney more doubled size of faculty , student body, added several new departments, , oversaw construction of 5 new campus buildings 1964.

in 1960s, due national shortage of physicians , government incentives schools increased class sizes, dartmouth medical school graduates began experience difficulty in trying transfer other medical school complete final 2 years of medical school other medical schools had increased class size , not accommodate transfer students. in meantime, mary hitchcock memorial hospital had grown 400-bed medical center, , dartmouth medical school had established partnership 224-bed veterans administration hospital in white river junction, vermont. doctor of medicine program, possible expanded local medical centers, reinstated vote of trustees in 1968. admission of m.d. candidates resumed in 1970. initially, medical school curriculum 3 years in length, unlike medical schools, later increased usual 4 years in 1979.

a cooperative program brown medical school began in 1981 students received training @ both medical schools. fifteen twenty students selected program, combined first 2 years of basic science coursework @ dartmouth final 2 years of clinical coursework @ brown. program balanced dartmouth s greater basic science facilities brown, fewer clinical facilities available @ urban setting of brown, located in providence, rhode island. graduates of program received m.d. degrees brown. program discontinued in 2010.

in 1991, dartmouth-hitchcock medical center established on 225-acre (0.91 km) campus in lebanon, new hampshire. three-year project, completed @ cost of $228 million, served replacement mary hitchcock memorial hospital, partially demolished in 1990s. new curriculum introduced in 1996 entitled new directions. curriculum, still in place today, seeks promote small classes, reduce amount of lectures, , offer students extensive interactive experience patients. 2009 saw successful completion of $250 million capital campaign.

on april 4, 2012, dartmouth medical school renamed audrey , theodor geisel school of medicine in honor of many years of generosity college.