About the Medical School

The Medical School at Sheffield is a complex organisation that integrates teaching, research and the practice of medicine. Our courses expose medical students to best current practice, through learning with the excellent Primary and Secondary care providers in the region. Further, we are engaged in developing the medicine of tomorrow, through the highly rated research work of our academic staff members.

175 Years of Medicine

School Motto
Sheffield School of Medicine was founded in 1828, subsequently merging with Firth College (1879), forerunner of the University, and Sheffield Technical School (1884) to form University College Sheffield in 1897. The University of Sheffield was granted a Royal Charter in May 1905.

Important Discoveries

The Old Medical School
Important discoveries in medicine at Sheffield include studies by Edward Mellanby (Professor of Pharmacology) in the 1920's that established that cod liver oil prevented rickets, so helping to eradicate the disease. Dr Cecil Payne made the first clinical cure using a crude extract of Penicillin in 1930. Sir Hans Krebs (Professor of Biochemistry) discovered the mechanism by which cells release energy, now known as the 'Krebs Cycle', work for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1953.

The Medical School Today

Medical Students
The Medical School today is home to more than one thousand students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The government's independent Research Rating for the school is 5 - indicating that most of our research is of international standing, and all is of at least national importance.


See also