The National Institute of Medical Sciences

Origins and Foundation (1351 MH - 1353 MH)

The origins of the Institute can be traced back to the Resterian chapter of the Chaplaincy of Saint Relicta who operated a religious hospital on the site alongside a monastery known as Gallowtree. The monastic complex had existed in some form, before the city, and took up a considerable portion of what was considered to be prime estate land by the cities municipal rulers. It had long been a point of contention therefore, that the monastery had been been in disrepair for some time, the monks reluctant to allow outsiders into their seclusion.

This would come to a head when the hand of the Chaplaincy was forced following several major structural failures that lead to the death of several monks and civilians, as well as damage to the surrounding properties. The dispute escalated to the point that threats were made to remove the Chaplaincy’s immunity to prosecution if they continued to refuse to negotiate.

An agreement was ultimately reached were a consortium of private buyers would purchase the land from the Church with a view for redevelopment. The agreement stipulated that it could only be used for civil purposes, (the Chaplaincy had previously dug in at proposals to erect a central keep for the city), and that the hospital could continue to operate on the site for time immemorial. It was an unhappy compromise from both sides, but with the prospect that the Gallowtree monks could be removed, it was accepted.

The consortium divided the land amongst it membership with each developing its own portion. One such member was Cardinal Lucas Ableforth of Recester, a member of the Western Church who had been influential in bending the will of the Chaplaincy to be more amenable to the terms of the agreement. As a reward, he was granted the plot of land closest to the hospital and one of the most valued plots.

Ableforth is said to have taken a conciliatory approach with the Chaplaincy, leading him to construct a school adjoining the hospital, rejuvenating the old building in the process. Although Ableforth School was secular, it struck up a close working relationship with the hospital, and while originally focusing on philosophy and mathematics, it transitioned to medical sciences in 1351 MH, becoming the Ableforth School of Medicines. The school benefited immensely from the experience the hospital could provide and the expertise of several of its long standing staff, some of who would later be invited to become professors.

The Decline of the Chaplaincy (1354 MH - 1356 MH)

By 1355 MH, the hospital alone was once again struggling. Ableforth School of Medicines had outshone the ancient hospital in providing consultancy, and its own teaching and practice had made it the desirable choice for the basic treatments that would normally be the purview of the hospital to provide. Furthermore the loss of the monastery meant that long term care for terminal patients was no longer possible, closing off another potential source of income. With struggling finance and general disinterest from the Church to maintain it, the Chaplaincy sold the hospital to Ableforth, allowing him to merge the two entities, extending the construction and capacity of the School and its ward.

Expansion of the Faculty and University Grant (1360 MH)

By 1360 MH, the School had become large enough that it was garnering national attention. Ableforth formally applied to have the School be recognised as a university. A condition of this included the establishment of a new college, in addition to the School which was reconstituted as a private hall. Ableforth chose this time to rename the organisation as the National Institute of Medical Sciences in response to its acclaim and believing it would give more legitimacy to the new enterprise. In becoming a university, the Institute would qualify its pupils to become professionals in the fields of medicine following graduation. Ableforth, although taking a step back from the running of the institution, would become the first Chancellor and would continue to pour considerable portions of his personal wealth into it, going so far as to leave virtually his entire estate to the endeavour.

The Institute of Medical Science consists of four colleges, one for each branch of medicine as practised in Rusager, as well as the Clock Tower College for research and experimentation. The other three colleges are: Gallowtree College, for physicians, focused on the diagnosis of diseases and infections, Hortensia School of Medicines, for apothecaries, a discipline relating to non-invasive treatments, and Baron’s College for Surgeons, relating to invasive treatments for both injuries and illness. In addition to this, there is a private hall, the Ableforth Ward, which offers a religious education on medicines. Ableforth Ward is the only Church run establishment in the Institute, but all colleges require one to be an adherent to some branch of the Cathirian faith.

Alongside the aforementioned religious requirement, admittance into the Institute is notoriously difficult. Originally, the School would allow any applicants who could pass a basic literacy test to enter, but as the prestige of the organisation has grown, it has developed its own unique method of recruitment in order to refine its admissions. The Institute recruits by invitation only, basing these upon the recommendations of its alumni. This organic network spread as its professionals would take on apprentices who could then be referred to the Institute. Over the years it would also lead to an unprecedented number of international students attending. Baron’s College, the youngest of the four, was named after Baron David Rock, a Palish noble who graduated from Gallowtree and would go on to serve the royal household. This being said, domestic students still far outnumber those from abroad, likely due to the higher level and availability of education in Rusager.

Once recommended, the candidate will travel to Recester for assessment, if they pass, they will then be formally offered a place. Assessment includes magical screening as only mundane students are allowed to join the colleges. Accepting the offer means paying the entrance fee, although the alumnus will typically account for this in their recommendation and sponsor those who would otherwise be unable to attend due to finances. Ongoing fees are paid every season and may also be covered by such sponsorship, this includes lodging, food, equipment, and service charges.

Ableforth Ward is slightly different in its recruitment practices, often training those of a theological disposition. Generally, admission is for Rusagans only, and the teaching is less in depth. Graduates here are not expected to pay a fee, but conversely are not licenced, so it is considered a pathway for a role within the clergy. Ironically, if one is magically inclined, the only way to attend the Institute is through Ableforth Ward, although no magical education is conducted on the premises.

Curriculum and Faculty

The Institute offers licences for the three medical professions in Rusager, with the faculty split amongst each college. Courses vary in length, but all first years undergo tutoring in core medical practice. Foreign students may also have language tutoring provided at this time to ensure fluency in Resalan. From here, the students choose their college. It is possible for a student to attend more than one college, but this is rare and those wishing to take the unusual step of multiple disciplines will usually reapply after earning their first licence.

The three disciplinary colleges tutor in both the academia surrounding their fields, as well as the specific skills required to practice them. For academic study it is common that Clock Tower students will join the lectures as well, to ensure a comprehensive knowledge is built up. Students are active participants in carrying out supervised medical procedures on live patients as part of their course, and every college also has its associated hospital, known as a ‘ward’. As graduation means a professional licence, the skills taught are notably advanced, supplemented by knowledge and research being done at Clock Tower.

At the head of the Institute is the Chancellor, by convention, this role is ceremonial and held for life, usually by an alumnus. Then, there a vice-chancellor for each college, as well as the Cardinal of Recester who oversees Ableforth Ward. The vice-chancellors and the Cardinal sit on the Institute Council, which makes the overall decisions on budget, admissions, and policy regarding the other, non-academic arms of the Institute.

The Notation Race

There has long been a rivalry between Hortensia School of Medicines and Gallowtree College. Hortensia is the oldest and used to be responsible for holistic medical education. However, with Gallowtree’s foundation in 1367 MH, part of its curriculum and staff were separated, to be used to instruct physicians. Clock Tower College was then founded in 1368 MH, although had very little impact on the other two, with Baron’s College for Surgeons established in 1371 MH. Both Hortensia and Gallowtree saw surgery as a lessor profession, lacking the need for as sharp a mind as their own disciplines. Conversely, Baron’s College students and faculty quickly started to resent the snobbery of their older cousins and thus the Notation Race was conceived.

The Notation Race is an annual contest held each year within the Institute, aimed at settling the question of which discipline is the greatest. Its incredibly complex scoring system is managed by Clock Tower College, whose staff act as a neutral party and judges of the contest. The rules are a closely guarded secret so as to avoid any tactical breaches, but it is widely known that these are based on the achievement of the Colleges in running their wards. The aim of the contest sort to utilise the rivalries to push academice process, but also gave leeway to Clock Tower to police the actions of the other colleges, just in case things became heated.

Over the years, the contest has developed further, beyond being a simple trophy. There are in-college awards to the best performing students every season, and prizes for wining college include favourable consideration in the annual budget of the Institute, as well as the position of chair for the College’s vice-chancellor, except on leap years where the chair is awarded to the Vice-Chancellor of Clock Tower.

The Race has been run continually since its inception barring 1389 MH, when the High Adjudicator suspended the contest following the Lemondraught Affair.

Other Institute Establishments

Supplementing the education, the Institute publishes a leading international medical journal, the I.M.S Red Paper. This features commentary on medical topics of the day, think pieces from leading academics, and published research from Clock Tower College. The journal is printed from the old Darii and Co. Typographers, a former printing press that was also built on the sight of the former monastery. This was bought by Ableforth before his death and signalled the future intentions of the Institute to buy up neighbouring buildings.

The portfolio includes Shenta Library, an iconic cylindrical library with a domed roof, known for its grand and ornate masonry, the Sanctum Ecclessia, a privately built and owned, but fully consecrated cathedral that acts as the seat of power for the Cardinal of Eccles, and the Gausia Theatre, a leading opera house in Recester.

For the rest of the city, 1389 MH was a year of no particular note, however for those in the know at the Institute, it was a time of crisis. The Notation Race had been won by Hortensia College for the fourth year running, although as a leap year, the Vice-Chancellor of Clock Tower held the chairmanship. Deliberations had transpired on adjusting the scoring system to disadvantage Hortensia, as concerns were raised about the uneven funding it had subsequently received and, while nothing had been actioned, it was noted there was severe friction between Hortensia and the other three colleges.

Incidents began to crop up throughout the year, with the students becoming notably factionalised. Baron’s College was peppered with eggs and horse dung, a selection of students work was defaced with the slogan ‘Hortensia Immemorial’, and a fight even occurred between a group of third year students of Baron’s and Gallowtree. Things appeared to come to ahead when the Housemaster of Hortensia College barred access for any Clock Tower students, meaning they were unable to attend important lecturers. An emergency meeting was called and the Council agreed to shelve the motion, tempers simmered down and it appeared things had settled down.

As second spring was approaching, however, a routine practical involving the dissection of cadavers at Baron’s College would lead to a startling revelation. The cadavers had been recovered, as was standard, from the unlucky patients of the other colleges. Even after the first cut was made however, many students reported the a pungent aroma of citrus. Indeed, with every corpse cut into, the aroma grew and suspicions began to arise that something was wrong.

Clock Tower academics were brought in to examine the bodies and determined in each case that the cadavers had, at some point prior to death, ingested poison. It could not be confirmed whether the poison had caused the death, but the fact that it was present in all of the deceased was alarming. Clock Tower kept this information secret, but immediately began examinations of deceased patients at the other colleges too. The poison, (that would later be called Lemondraught), was present in all cadavers, but in far greater numbers for Gallowtree and Baron’s College deceased. The implication was clear and the High Adjudicator immediately announced an annulment of the Notation Race for that year.

Behind the scenes, the Council were in shock. Hortensia denied any complicity of course, claiming they had been framed, but the scandal would ultimately lead to the Vice-Chancellors resignation. New limitations on the rewards of the contest were put in place to prevent such an atrocity from occurring again and Clock Tower now examines the deceased of all colleges for signs of sabotage as a routine. Fearing a public relations disaster, the the Council agreed to scrub the record of the incident, but for a single file that would be kept under lock and key in the Shenta archives.