The National Academy of Sciences this week voted to change the name of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to the National Academy of Medicine. The newly named National Academy of Medicine will continue to be an honorific society and will inherit the more than 1,900 current elected members and foreign associates of the IOM.
The National Academy of Medicine will join the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering in advising the nation on matters of science, technology, and health.
The change, effective July 1, is part of a broader internal reorganization to more effectively integrate the work of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
The National Academy of Sciences was founded in 1863 under a congressional charter signed by President Lincoln, which created a body that would operate outside of government to advise the nation “whenever called upon.” The National Academy of Engineering was founded in 1964. The Institute of Medicine was established as the health arm of the NAS in 1970.
“This is indeed a momentous occasion,” said Institute of Medicine President Victor J. Dzau, who will be the first president of the National Academy of Medicine. “This change recognizes the important achievements of medical and health researchers, clinicians, and policymakers in improving health and medicine both nationally and globally. We look forward to expanding our work together with the other Academies, and I am confident that this development will enhance our ability to provide evidence-based advice aimed at improving the lives of people everywhere.”
Reports and studies on health and medicine will continue uninterrupted as activities of the Institute of Medicine, which will become one of the six program units operating under the direction of the integrated academies.
