Society Dean: Steven Ricanati, MD
Joseph Wearn, MD
Joseph Wearn, MD, joined the faculty of the School of Medicine in 1929 as a professor of medicine. During his tenure as Dean from 1945 to 1959, he led the planning and 1952 launch of an innovative curriculum widely credited with changing medical education across the country. The curriculum integrated various subjects, introduced students to patient care in the first year of medical school, and featured a philosophy by which faculty treated students as junior colleagues.
Before coming to Cleveland, Dr. Wearn, along with Alfred Richards, MD, conducted research at the University of Pennsylvania that resulted in what has been described as one of the most significant publications in renal physiology.
Steven Ricanati, MD