The rich history of medical regulation in the United States spans one hundred and fifty years. Since its centennial in 2012, the Federation of State Medical Boards has been collating and cataloging its various archival materials and holdings and seeking additional materials capturing the rich history of state medical boards.

In 2021, FSMB President Hank Chaudhry, DO, encouraged staff to create a permanent physical space in the organization’s Texas offices for sharing the story of FSMB and the state medical board community. I have been honored to lead this initiative.

On October 24, 2024, the Federation of State Medical Boards held a grand opening for the FSMB Historical Collection (FHC). This event showcased the culmination of many years work to gather, assemble and curate the materials featured in the FHC.

So what is the FSMB Historical Collection (FHC)? The FHC comprises a multi-purpose space integrating a library, archive and display materials. The FHC houses contemporary and historical scholarship on various aspects of medical regulation, education, assessment and the growth of the medical profession. Its archival holdings include documents and photographs spanning the entirety of the FSMB’s 113-year history. The assembled artifacts and interactive touchscreen displays provide visitors with a glimpse into FSMB’s history and various aspects of medical regulation such as our current displays on medical discipline, the licensing examination and prominent women in medical regulation.

To give a flavor for the FHC’s holdings, here are a couple items I wanted to spotlight.

For many decades, the primary function of state medical boards included writing, administering and scoring a medical licensing exam for prospective licensees in their state. Very little seems to have survived showcasing the administrative features of these exams. That’s what makes these items from a 1923 examinee to the Massachusetts medical board’s exam so fascinating.

Among the other exam related materials at the FHC are these test prep books from various publishers during the first half of the twentieth century. Medical licensing exams were almost exclusively extended response questions. A common practice called for post-administration publishing of the board’s test questions. This occurred in either a publication of the board, a state medical society journal or even JAMA. The rationale was simple: publishing previously used questions gave prospective examinees some idea for how to prepare for the exam. Publishers soon recognized the market for gathering and publishing these questions dispersed in various journals across the country. The modern equivalent is Kaplan, First Aid for USMLE, UWorld, etc.

One of my favorite items in the collection is this industrial looking card catalog.

Once the FSMB secured permanent offices in Texas in 1962, it began receiving notices of disciplinary actions taken by state medical boards across the country. The FSMB’s modern Physician Data Center has its modest origins in this card catalog holding summaries of disciplinary actions dating to the early 1960s.

A generous donation from the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure serves as a main exhibit today at the FHC. That board’s executive director has shared two sets of original materials. (1) Bound register books containing the license applications dating back to the 1890s.  (2) A multi-volume bound set containing all the questions posed on the Mississippi exam from 1923-1968. Both sets make for fascinating reading. Both present a unique research opportunity for scholars. 

Finally, if you are reading this post and have materials that touch upon the history of medical regulation and wish to contribute to the FHC (through donation or loan), don’t hesitate to contact me. We would love the opportunity to spotlight your historical artifacts.

The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not represent the views of the Federation of State Medical Boards.