From fairly early on, Washington Peck knew what he wanted to study and make his life’s work, medicine. Growing up in Galen, New York, Peck started studying the science of medicine at age eighteen. Washington Peck attended Bellevue Medical College of New York. This was the first school in the country to blend clinical and didactic teachings. During his time at Bellevue College, he spent two years as House Surgeon in Bellevue Hospital. In 1863, he graduated with highest honors. Soon after graduating he joined the military as a surgeon for the next eighteen months. His work in the service won him official commendation for the work he did at Lincoln General Hospital.
In 1864, he was relocated to Davenport, Iowa where he gained substantial recognition for his special attention to surgery. In 1867, Peck was made President of the Iowa State Medical Society. Just two years later, in 1869, Peck went in front of the trustees of the University with the idea of adding a medical department to the school. To his surprise, the board liked the idea and helped Peck through the preliminary steps to start the medical department. When the department was established Peck was named Dean and Professor of Surgery. The medical department struggled for years due to financial problems and rivalry from other hospitals. Thanks to Peck’s vision and hard work, a premier educational institution and hospital would eventually flourish in Iowa.
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