Thomas C. Chalmers

Who was Thomas C. Chalmers?

Thomas Clark Chalmers, MD, FACP was famous for his role in the development of the randomized controlled trial and meta-analysis in medical research.

Chalmers began his higher education as an English major at Yale College. He obtained his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1943. He spent one year as an intern at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and completed his residency at the Boston City Hospital.

Chalmers' interest in medical research began while working for the United States Army in Japan, where he conducted clinical trials investigating the treatment of hepatitis among Korean War soldiers. After returning to the United States, he spent 13 years as chief of medical services at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Boston. He also held academic positions at Tufts University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. From 1968 to 1973 he held a number of appointments in Washington, DC: assistant director at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, followed by concurrent positions as associate director of the National Institutes of Health and Director of the NIH Clinical Center.