ABSTRACT
Harvard Medical School is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States. It was founded in 1782 by John Warren, Benjamin Waterhouse and Aaron Dexter. Notable alumni include Oliver Wendell Holmes Senior, Harvey Cushing and Atul Gawande. Harvard has always encouraged a spirit of freedom and enquiry amongst its students and faculty, and in the twenty-first century Gawande is leading the way. He has written on the imperfect science of medicine and surgery, on surgical performance and on the importance of planning and organisation in healthcare.
