Of the Members

Of the Meetings of the Club

Annual General Meeting

Membership of the Osler Club is open to medical men and women, and to medical students. Lay persons with an interest in medical history and philosophy are eligible for membership. Candidates for membership should furnish the Secretary with personal details regarding their professional career (medical school and degrees – if any), association with medicine, interest in the history of medicine and allied sciences, and publications (if any) using the special application forms. A candidate should be proposed and seconded by Club Members who will submit his or her name to Council for election. A candidate not knowing a Member personally should apply to the Secretary for an invitation to attend one meeting.


Of the Officers and Council

Of Extraordinary Meetings

The Osler Club Library

The President shall normally serve two years and will be expected to give a Presidential address. Transfer of Office will occur at the Oslerian Banquet.

The Immediate Past President is an ex-officio Member of Council and shall normally serve as Vice-President for two years.

The President Elect is an ex-officio Member of Council and shall normally serve as a Vice-President for two years.

The Honorary Treasurer is an ex-officio Member of Council who will be responsible for the accounts of the Club and normally serves for five years.

The Honorary Secretary is an ex-officio Member of Council and will be responsible for the administration of the Club including its minutes and normally serve for five years.

The International Secretary is an ex-officio Member of Council and shall normally serve for five years.

The Archivist and Librarian are ex-officio Members of Council and shall normally serve for five years.

In addition to the Club Officers there shall be at least four Members of Council each of whom shall be elected for two years and be eligible for re-election for a further two years, after which they should stand down for one year before becoming eligible for re-election.


At least six meetings shall be held between October and June, and an Annual Oration and Dinner shall be held to commemorate Sir William Osler’s birthday, on or around 12th July.


An Annual General Meeting shall be held in the middle of the year in conjunction with the last ordinary meeting of the Club. An agenda will be circulated in advance and should contain reports for the year from the Secretary and the Treasurer together with the Annual Accounts. Election of Officers and Members of the Council will take place at the Annual General Meeting.



Of Subscriptions

Any three members of the Club may, by informing the Secretary, call an Extraordinary General Meeting to discuss the Club’s business.

The annual subscription shall be thirty pounds, payable by Bankers Order. Registered full-time medical students under the age of 30 are entitled to a free subscription for four years. Subscriptions should be subject to Annual Review. There is no entrance fee for meetings.


The Osler Club Library is housed in the Thomas Cotton Room, situated in the Royal College of Physicians itself. It is a small but fascinating collection of books and reprints by Sir William Osler, biographical items devoted to him; a few volumes of medico-historical interest; several photographs and portraits of Osler, and cuttings and other memorabilia related to his life and work. In addition there is a sizeable collection of archives related to the formation and activities of the Club.

We aim to collect everything by or about Osler, and members of the Club are also invited to send copies of their own published work on Oslerian subjects

Please address all inquiries to view the collection to the Honorary Librarian and Archivist.

The Constitution