Royal College of Physicians of London

British organization

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July 13, 2026

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The Royal College of Physicians of London is a British organization founded in 1518 by Thomas Linacre, who also served as its first president. Linacre, a physician and classical scholar, established the college through letters patent from King Henry VIII. This was in response to concerns about unqualified individuals practicing medicine in London.1

The college was created to regulate medical practice and ensure high standards among physicians. It is one of the major medical associations in Great Britain, alongside the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the British Medical Association.12

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medical education
History of medical education
…establishment in 1518 of the Royal College of Physicians of London, which came about largely through the energies of Thomas Linacre, produced a system that called for examination of medical practitioners. The discovery of the circulation of the blood by William Harvey provided a stimulus to the scientific study of…
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…establishment in 1518 of the Royal College of Physicians of London, which came about largely through the energies of Thomas Linacre, produced a system that called for examination of medical practitioners. The discovery of the circulation of the blood by William Harvey provided a stimulus to the scientific study of…
Read More

William Harvey
Education and appointment as Lumleian lecturer
…was a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London from 1607 and was active in this society for the remainder of his life. In 1615 he was appointed Lumleian lecturer in surgery at the Royal College, a post he held until 1656 (the Lumleian lecture series was named…
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…was a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London from 1607 and was active in this society for the remainder of his life. In 1615 he was appointed Lumleian lecturer in surgery at the Royal College, a post he held until 1656 (the Lumleian lecture series was named…
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smoking
The antismoking movement
…after the reports by the Royal College of Physicians (1962) and the U.S. surgeon general (1964) clearly stating the deleterious health effects of smoking, quitting rates were not as high as might have been expected. An average of two million persons gave up smoking every year in the United States…
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…after the reports by the Royal College of Physicians (1962) and the U.S. surgeon general (1964) clearly stating the deleterious health effects of smoking, quitting rates were not as high as might have been expected. An average of two million persons gave up smoking every year in the United States…
Read More