Medical School to Celebrate 50th Anniversary in 2018

The Long School of Medicine is approaching its 50th anniversary of the doors opening to the medical school building on Sept. 3, 1968.
The Long School of Medicine is approaching its 50th anniversary of the doors opening to the medical school building on Sept. 3, 1968.

When the doors opened to the new medical school building on Sept. 3, 1968, then Dean F. Carter Pannill, M.D., was quoted in an article saying, “San Antonio will never be the same again.”

And, San Antonio, the South Texas Medical Center, and the state of Texas have never been the same again. What started as The University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio has transformed into UT Health San Antonio, a renowned national center of education, research and patient care.

The 440,000-square-foot medical school building was the first structure on campus. It featured teaching laboratories, a library, an auditorium, a laboratory animal resources area, offices and student activity areas.

In the fall of 1968, the first medical students attended classes and began their rotations. The adjacent Bexar County Hospital—now University Hospital—opened shortly afterward. The hospital had its formal dedication on Nov. 9, 1968.

During its 50th year, the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine will host events celebrating this anniversary. Please look for more details as 2018 begins.

The first 50 years of the Long School of Medicine will be included in a May 12, 2018, event on campus—”300 Years of History and Advances in Medicine in San Antonio.” Hosted by Alfonso Chiscano, M.D., and his colleagues in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the symposium will feature speakers from across the university and the city. The event also is part of the San Antonio Tricentennial Celebration.


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In the 2017 issue of Future

Future is the official magazine of the Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Read and share inspiring stories highlighting our medical alumni, faculty and students who are revolutionizing education, research, patient care and critical services in the communities they serve.

View the 2017 issue

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