Abraham Flexner - The American College

In 1908, Flexner published his first book, The American College. Strongly critical of many aspects of American higher education, it was especially critical of the university lecture as a method of instruction. According to Flexner, lectures enabled colleges to "handle cheaply by wholesale a large body of students that would be otherwise unmanageable and thus give the lecturer time for research."

Flexner's book attracted the attention of Henry Pritchett, president of the Carnegie Foundation, who was looking for someone to lead a series of studies of professional education. Although Flexner had never set foot inside a medical school, he was Pritchett's first choice to lead a study of American medical education. Thus he joined the research staff at the Carnegie Foundation in 1908.