There were approximately 50 medical schools in the United States in 1850. Specifically in Ohio, there were several schools located in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Willoughby. The requirements for a degree in Medicine were somewhat uniform even in 1850, 2 years of classes and 3 years of preceptorship - practical training under the supervision of a doctor. The historian FC Waite described the process in Ohio in the 1850s: “a student spent about 30 weeks in classes and 124 weeks in preceptorship, thereby emphasizing the great importance of the clinical experience in the education process.” Even with the availability of medical schools, as many as 25% of doctors had no medical degree at all.