Training Medical Apprentices at Yekaterinburg Hospital for Factories of Urals and Siberia (1735–1750s)

This article presents a pioneering examination of the training of medical apprentices at the Yekaterinburg hospital, based on archival documents, for the hospitals established at various factories across the Urals and Siberia during the years 1735 to 1750. It reconstructs the demographics of these apprentices, including their social backgrounds, ages, prior education, appointments, salaries, and subsequent salary increases. The study traces the career progression of these medical apprentices as they advanced to the position of sub-doctors. It reveals that from 1740 onwards, the Medical Chancellery took control of the training of medical apprentices in Russia, appointing them as sub-doctors with salaries significantly exceeding those set by local Urals authorities. For the first time, the years of operation for the initial hospitals at the factories in the Urals and Siberia are established, along with the duration of service for medical apprentices and sub-doctors. The article highlights the role of German medical practitioners in Yekaterinburg in their training, particularly focusing on the active involvement of Chief Physician Johann Schnee in their subsequent careers. Additionally, it underscores the high territorial mobility of the trained apprentices, detailing their deployment to establish hospitals at other factories due to the transfer of enterprises from private hands to the Mining Department, the initiation of new factory constructions, factory closures, and the growing population in need of medical care.