The defining mission of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, a $1.1 billion enterprise located in the heart of Chicago, is to educate the next generation of physicians. We offer a full-time MD program, multiple joint degree programs, graduate medical education, and continuing medical education. While education is the defining mission of the medical school, we are also deeply committed to research, patient care, and community service. Our school stands out among the nation's research-intensive medical schools and we consistently receive high marks in U.S. News & World Report surveys. With our affiliates, we provide patient care to thousands of individuals every year and we play an integral part in the communities we serve.Feinberg was founded in 1859, and our first dean was Nathan Smith Davis, who was instrumental in the founding of the American Medical Association. The medical school plays a significant part in the vibrant educational and cultural community of Northwestern University, an independent private institution founded in 1851.