Overview

The absence of medical licensing laws in most states during the years following the American Civil War made it possible for unscrupulous individuals to exploit the weak oversight and unregulated state issuance of school charters. Diploma Mill traces the rise and spectacular fall of Dr. John Buchanan—educator, author, and criminal—and the Eclectic Medical College of Pennsylvania (EMC) over the course of its three decades’ existence. Founded as a legitimate educational institution, the EMC aspired to carry the banner of eclectic medicine in the eastern United States. Enter Dr. Buchanan, who during his tenure at the EMC assumed control of this small Philadelphia school and issued thousands of dubiously earned diplomas. Buchanan’s political connections shielded his activities at the school for more than a decade. His ambitions for the EMC carried both him and the school into a criminal enterprise, representing the largest and most notorious medical diploma mill in 19th-century America. Despite multiple arrests on various charges during the mid-1870s, Buchanan’s operations at the EMC continued unchecked until an elaborate sting operation in 1880 secured evidence for federal and state charges against him. Hoping to relocate his operations, Buchanan faked his own death and fled the country. The story of John Buchanan and the EMC contains unusually dramatic elements more typical of a novel than a work of history but does not undermine its importance. His activities ultimately resulted in stronger medical licensing laws and cast a shadow upon the minority of physicians practicing eclectic medicine. By relating the history of a criminal enterprise arising within the confines of a legitimate medical school, Diploma Mill represents a unique contribution in the literature of 19th-century American medicine.

Full Product Details

9781606353448

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""The heart of Diploma Mill is the engaging tale of a medical scoundrel [John Buchanan] in post–Civil War Philadelphia. In this highly readable biography, Johnson treats Buchanan more as a cunning rascal than as a grave danger to society. His pursuit of sources on Buchanan and eclectic medicine is thorough…. As Johnson argues, the Philadelphia diploma mill scandal likely contributed to arguments for state licensing laws, but he recognizes that neither these laws nor state examinations prevented future diploma mills…."" — Bulletin of the History of Medicine ""David Alan Johnson has dealt with many charlatans in his role as senior vice president of the Federation of State Medical Boards, where he oversees assessment. A former high-school history teacher who loved using stories to teach, Johnson found a great one on med-school malfeasance while researching a different topic. In Diploma Mill: The Rise and Fall of Dr. John Buchanan and the Eclectic Medical College of Pennsylvania, he shares the saga of an institution's descent from legitimate school to scam operation."" — Washington Independent Review of Books"

David Alan Johnson has dealt with many charlatans in his role as senior vice president of the Federation of State Medical Boards, where he oversees assessment. A former high-school history teacher who loved using stories to teach, Johnson found a great one on med-school malfeasance while researching a different topic. In Diploma Mill: The Rise and Fall of Dr. John Buchanan and the Eclectic Medical College of Pennsylvania, he shares the saga of an institution's descent from legitimate school to scam operation. -- Washington Independent Review of Books

The heart of Diploma Mill is the engaging tale of a medical scoundrel [John Buchanan] in post-Civil War Philadelphia. In this highly readable biography, Johnson treats Buchanan more as a cunning rascal than as a grave danger to society. His pursuit of sources on Buchanan and eclectic medicine is thorough.... As Johnson argues, the Philadelphia diploma mill scandal likely contributed to arguments for state licensing laws, but he recognizes that neither these laws nor state examinations prevented future diploma mills.... -- Bulletin of the History of Medicine David Alan Johnson has dealt with many charlatans in his role as senior vice president of the Federation of State Medical Boards, where he oversees assessment. A former high-school history teacher who loved using stories to teach, Johnson found a great one on med-school malfeasance while researching a different topic. In Diploma Mill: The Rise and Fall of Dr. John Buchanan and the Eclectic Medical College of Pennsylvania, he shares the saga of an institution's descent from legitimate school to scam operation. -- Washington Independent Review of Books

Author Information

David Alan Johnson serves as senior vice president at the Federation of State Medical Boards. His published works on various aspects of medical regulation and its history have appeared in multiple journals, including the Bulletin of History of Medicine, JAMA, Journal of Medical Regulation, Academic Medicine, and Annals of Internal Medicine. He is the lead author of Medical Licensing and Discipline in America: A History of the Federation of State Medical Boards.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available