Meharry Medical College

About Meharry
Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Meharry Medical College is one of the nation's oldest and largest historically black academic health science centers dedicated to educating physicians, dentists, researchers, and health policy experts.

Founded in 1876 as the Medical Department of Central Tennessee College, Meharry was the first medical school in the South for African Americans. It was chartered separately in 1915.

Today, Meharry includes a medical school, dental school, and a graduate school; and is home to the Robert Wood Johnson Center for Health Policy at Meharry. The degrees include Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.), Master of Science in Public Health (M.S.P.H.), Master of Science (M.S.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees.

Meharry is a United Methodist Church-affiliated institution. A 2010 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine ranked Meharry as one of the nation's top five producers of primary care physicians. Meharry is also a leading producer of African Americans with Ph.Ds. in biomedical sciences.

In addition to providing quality professional health care education, exemplary patient care, and compassionate community outreach, Meharry Medical College produces the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, a public health journal.

the salt wagon story
In the 1820s, 16-year-old Samuel Meharry was hauling a load of salt through Kentucky when his wagon slid off the road into a muddy ditch. With rain and nightfall limiting his options, Samuel searched for help.

He saw a modest cabin that was home to a black family recently freed from slavery. The family, still vulnerable to slave hunters paid to return freedmen to bondage, risked their freedom to give Meharry food and shelter for the night.

At morning's light, they helped lift the wagon from the mud and Meharry continued his journey. The black family's act of kindness touched young Meharry so deeply that he vowed to repay it. I have no money now, he said as he departed, but, when I am able, I shall do something for your race. Tragically, history never recorded the name of the courageous black family, and perhaps their identity even receded in the mind of Samuel Meharry as he grew prosperous in the years that followed.

Even so, 40 years later, as the Civil War ended and black citizens began their long struggle for rights guaranteed by the Constitution, Meharry seized an opportunity to redeem his vow. When leading Methodist clergymen and laymen organized the Freedmen's Aid Society in August 1866, to elevate former slaves, intellectually and morally, Meharry acted. He and his four brothers Alexander, David, Hugh and Jesse, pledged their support to Central Tennessee College's emerging medical education program. With $30,000 in cash and real property, the Meharry brothers repaid the black family's Act of Kindness with one of their own.

In 1876, they funded the College's Medical Department, which evolved over time into what we now know as Meharry Medical College.

Today, the contemporary Salt Wagon image symbolizes those several acts of kindness and philanthropy and countless others performed by the College's loyal supporters. Use the links at the left to learn more about our mission, vision, and how to be a part of it.

community IMPACT
Meharry Medical College is a dedicated health advocate for the Nashville community; especially those who are uninsured or underinsured, and those who have limited access to medical care.

Each year Meharry provides $26 million in medical and dental care to the local Nashville community at no cost to the patient. Additionally, Meharry reaches out to the community through a variety of programs that aid underserved populations such as the homeless and the elderly to help improve the quality of their health care.

Outreach programs at Meharry improve the quality of life for those in our community, one person at a time.

VisiT meharry
Meharry Medical College is located in the heart of a vibrant healthcare, education, research and cultural zone adjacent to the Jefferson Street Corridor, close to the Charlotte Avenue Health Care district, and between the 28th Avenue Connector and the African-American Museum/Germantown District.

It is directly across the street from across from the prestigious Fisk University and less than one mile away from the infamous Tennessee State University.

Steeped in tradition and nurtured by a proud heritage, Meharry stands ready to develop, listen and engage a diverse group of academic, research, clinical and community voices to address health disparities and help achieve global health equity for all. We are led by our motto, "Worship of God through Service," to fulfill our mission of meeting the health care needs of the underserved through education, research and patient care.

Learn how we do what we do . . . continue to explore this website or better yet, come visit the campus and meet our students, faculty, staff and alumni. Peek in on a class in session, or visit one of our research labs. Take a tour of our library or take some time to relax in the Salt Wagon Cafe.

Work at Meharry
The Department of Human Resources is committed to enhancing the working environment of Meharry's employees. Our multi-faceted approach supports the College's strategic plan and carries forth its mission. From hiring top-notch talent to facilitating training, from managing benefits to mediating conflict. and so much more, Meharry's Department of Human Resources supports the College's most important resource: its people.

We remain committed to attracting, rewarding, developing, and retaining a diverse and talented workforce. Could that include you? Use the links to the left and let's find out!

Meharry Medical College Degree Programs :

Medicine

Dentistry

Video Presentation

Meharry Medical College Community Day 2009

Meharry's Annual Community Day. Theme : A Healthy Reform: Building A Better You. This is a community event with free food, games, health information, and health screenings.