Sir William Osler and the Schorstein Memorial lectures at the London Hospital.

The formal named lecture has an iconic position in British medical life, but it is less valued now than in the past. The Schorstein memorial lecture series at the London Hospital illustrates the evolving role of such lectures and their significance in medical practice, science and history, and the evolving concepts of medicine in society. The founding concept underlying the Schorstein lectures was an ideal of education, strongly supported by William Osler and other influential figures. The influence of the series of annual lectures and their subsequent publication among the wider medical community was immense. However, the formal named lecture as an educational experience is now less highly regarded. Nonetheless, with a changed focus, as has been applied recently to the Schorstein lecture series, such events can continue to play a role in contemporary medical life.