Advancing Medicine Since 1824

To know Charleston is to know its cultural institutions, as well as its colleges, many holding some of the longest legacies in America. As part of the 100 top-ranked universities in the nation for both research and primary care, the Medical University of South Carolina continues to thrive as the tenth-oldest medical school in the country, founded in 1824. Over its 200-year history the school has remained inherently committed to its mission to excel in both educating physicians as well as advancing science. It is a delight and honor to host Dr. Jerry Reves, medical pioneer, Dean Emeritus and M.U.S.C graduate, founding director of Duke Heart Center and now author, to speak to his distinguished career and highlight the college’s long-standing impact through his new book, South Carolina’s Indomitable College of Medicine: The Bicentennial History.

If you are unable to attend the event but would like to purchase one or more signed copies, please visit Buxton Books here.

About the Book

In South Carolina’s Indomitable College of Medicine: The Bicentennial History, Dr. Jerry Reves chronicles the 200-year legacy of America’s tenth-oldest medical school and the oldest in the Deep South. This authoritative work documents the faculty’s numerous challenges—funding issues, wars, earthquakes, hurricanes, and political intrigue—that they have overcome to remain committed to their mission of educating physicians and advancing science. Driven by an unwavering determination, the faculty has worked to position the school not only as the best in South Carolina but among the top medical institutions in the nation. The book also recounts the growth of clinical services and the remarkable expansion of the health system beyond the Lowcountry. Anyone interested in how this storied yet vibrant medical school has achieved its esteemed status and produced countless outstanding physicians over the years will find this work immensely engaging.

About the Author

Born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, Dr. Reves attended the Gaud School for Boys before continuing his education at Vanderbilt University. He earned his doctorate of medicine right here at MUSC, and later specialized in anesthesiology at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. After completing residency, Dr. Reves became a pioneer in the newly developing field of cardiac anesthesia. He first practiced cardiac anesthesia at the University of Alabama, then in the United States Navy at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Reves would go on to help create cardiac anesthesia divisions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Duke University, and found the national Society of Cardiac Anesthesiologists. He was the founding director of the Duke Heart Center and later served as chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at Duke. He returned to Charleston in 2001 as the Dean of the College of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs, positions he held until 2010. His profound contributions to MUSC during this time earned him the distinction of Dean Emeritus. Since retirement he has continued his research, writing and has created the MUSC Arboretum whose board he chairs. Dr. Reves pioneered the development and use of the sedative Versed that is used for sedation for endoscopy procedures and as a preoperative sedative. His NIH-funded research focused on cardiac surgery in the elderly. He has also served as president of numerous medical associations and editor for several prestigious scientific journals. He is the author and editor of 15 textbooks and hundreds of research publications. He is also a regular contributor to the Healthy Aging column of The Seabrooker, a local independent newspaper, which has featured his work over 300 times. Most recently, Dr. Reves published South Carolina’s Indomitable College of Medicine, a book that outlines the rich history of MUSC, as the oldest medical school in the South.