Homeopathic Medical Colleges in the U.S. Before the Flexner Report (1910)

The 1910 Flexner Report catalyzed the closure of most “irregular” medical schools, including homeopathic institutions. Reliable historical counts vary by source definition.

Estimated Numbers

Source	Homeopathic Colleges Cited	Year / Notes
Flexner Report (Bulletin No. 4)	22	1909–10 survey; includes “eclectic” & “physiomedical”
American Institute of Homeopathy (AIH) records	19–21	Peak ~1900; some merged/converted before 1910
Coulter, Divided Legacy (1973)	22	Detailed appendix
Kaufman, Homeopathy in America (1971)	20	Excludes short-lived proprietary schools

Notable Institutions (Partial List)

• Hahnemann Medical College (Philadelphia) — merged into Drexel
• New York Homeopathic Medical College — became NY Medical College
• Boston University School of Medicine (homeopathic origin)
• Hahnemann Hospital College (San Francisco)
• Chicago Homeopathic Medical College
• Cleveland Homeopathic Medical College
• University of Michigan Homeopathic Medical College (closed 1922)
• Iowa State Homeopathic Medical College
• Minneapolis College of Homeopathy
• St. Louis Homeopathic Medical College

Post-Flexner Trajectory

• 1910: ~22 homeopathic colleges
• 1920: ~10
• 1930: ~5
• 1950: 2 (Hahnemann Philadelphia, NY Medical College)
• 1970s: Last exclusively homeopathic curricula dropped; converted to conventional MD programs.

Why They Closed

• Flexner’s criteria: university affiliation, full-time faculty, laboratory facilities, hospital access, admission standards.
• Homeopathic schools often lacked resources, relied on part-time faculty, used low-admission standards.
• State licensing boards adopted Flexner standards → graduates ineligible for licensure.
• Carnegie Foundation / AMA pressure on philanthropic funding.

Legacy

Several major medical schools (NYMC, Drexel, BU) trace roots to homeopathic institutions. The AIH continues as a professional organization; board certification in homeotherapeutics exists (ABHt) for MDs/DOs.