Mass General: A Teaching Hospital for the 21st Century

On Oct. 16, 1846, William T.G. Morton made history in the Massachusetts General Hospital surgical teaching amphitheater when he demonstrated the first successful public surgery using the anesthetic ether – setting the stage for centuries of discovery and innovation at Mass General. Now known as the Ether Dome, the amphitheater is an embodiment of MGH’s mission to advance care through education, research and service to the community.

Simulation labs help me become a better provider. It is important for students to gain exposure to complex cases. Having the ability to talk things out with my preceptors when I’m not sure what to do next is amazing.

Korey White, MPH
Physician assistant student

Opportunities to learn can be found in every corner of the hospital – from the MGH Learning Laboratory to the Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation. Teaching, learning and advancing knowledge have been part of Mass General’s rich tradition since its founding more than 200 years ago, and the impact of that tradition is seen in the care provided by the thousands of trainees, staff and alumni around the world.

“Education has always been a central element of Mass General’s DNA from the very conception of the Ether Dome,” says James Gordon, MD, MGH chief learning officer. “And I suspect there is more teaching, learning and education in the health professions going on at Mass General on any given day than in most other places in the world.”

The original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and founder of the MGH Institute of Health Professions, Mass General is dedicated to training and mentoring health professionals at all stages of their development. Learners benefit from rigorous, top-notch training and faculty expertise, staff benefit from challenging one another to strive for excellence, and patients benefit from the world-class education their health care providers receive.