Club History

The Interurban Clinical Club was founded by Sir William Osler in 1905 to encourage dialogue and exchange among academic physician-scientists in neighboring cities. Since then, twice a year (with a few exceptions during World War II and the COVID-19 Pandemic), meetings have been held in rotation in Baltimore, New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. A few years after the organization of the Club, members from New Haven were added.

The Club’s mission is to support collegial interactions that promote shared goals including state-of-the-art, high impact biomedical research and the training of physician-scientists. The ICC has a maximum of 75 active physician-scientist members, representing Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, New Haven and New York, along with about 100 emeritus members.

The meetings begin with a one-day scientific symposium highlighting work done in the host city followed by a formal dinner attended by members, guests, and local MD-PhD students. Candidates for membership are nominated by the current members, with discussion and election during the bi-annual business meeting. The ICC and its members are committed to promoting excellence and diversity in all its forms within the Club and in academic medicine.