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What did Joseph Black study before becoming a chemistry professor?
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Joseph Black
Joseph Black, detail of an engraving by J. Rogers after a portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn
Before Joseph Black became a chemistry professor, he initially studied art at the University of Glasgow.1
Following his father's requirement that he pursue a professional career, Black transitioned to the study of medicine. During his medical training, he came under the influence of the innovative chemistry teacher William Cullen, which sparked his interest in conducting chemical experiments. Black eventually completed his medical degree at the University of Edinburgh in 1754, for which he conducted significant research on the chemical properties of magnesium carbonate.1