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San Francisco: Departments

Radiation Oncology
There is no history currently available for this department.

Radiology
The history of radiology in the School of Medicine before 1912 is unknown. From 1912 to 1939 roentgenology was administered as a subdivision of the Division of Surgery. Because its activities invaded all the disciplines of the clinical divisions of the medical school, not just surgery, a separate Division of Roentgenology was established on July 1, 1939. The name was changed to Division of Radiology in 1941 to signify that its scope was broader than just the use of roentgen rays. In 1943, diagnostic and therapeutic radiology sections were established and in 1964, one on nuclear medicine was established.

The first known instruction in radiology was by Dr. Anna Davenport in 1912, described as: "Course in roentgenology will be given-made as practical as possible, and interesting plates will be shown at San Francisco County Hospital and the University of California Hospital."

Most of the instruction in radiology was done by direct teacher student contact rather than by lectures. Since radiology is interdisciplinary, much instruction was given in conjunction with anatomy, pathology, and the clinical disciplines. Sufficient time was never allotted to teach medical students basic radiology, a subject that entered many doctors' practices.

The training of postdoctoral students in the specialty of radiology became a major part of the teaching activity. In 1930, there was one such student; by the mid-1960's there were 28. Including those in training, there were 156 such students. Each student took three to four years to complete his studies.

The full-time academic staff was increased from one in 1928-29 to 23 in 1965-66. There was a corresponding increase in the number of unpaid clinical staff. The number of department staff members increased from six in 1928 to 248 in 1965. There was an exponential doubling of the workload every eight years.

Among the department's activities and achievements were: the first moving pictures of the heart in vivo (1920's); the early use of million volt x-rays (1934); first use of artificial radioisotopes in humans; first treatment of patient with cyclotron-produced fast neutrons; early extensive studies with radioiodine; establishment of the Radiological Laboratory for radiobiology and treatment of patients with 70-Mv x-rays; extensive studies on procurement of "information" with x-rays, using image amplification and television; operation of teaching and research laboratories for nuclear medicine; and work on long term projects concerning metabolic disease, spondylitis, and circulation in tumors.

The chairmen of radiology have been Howard E. Ruggles, 1914-39; Robert S. Stone, 1939-43, 1946-62; Earl R. Miller, 1943-1946; Howard L. Steinbach (acting), 1962-63; and Alexander R. Margulis, after 1963. source

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Last updated 06/18/04.