The first medical school in the US started at the University of Pennsylvania in 1765.
The professors didn't receive a salary, they rented the space they used from the University, and paid a share of the overhead.
That's like an unpaid intern having to rent their desk and chip in for the janitor.
But how did the professors earn a living? They sold tickets to students.
It wasn't a matter of just collecting at the door from a waiting line of acolytes, that would be too easy.
No, they had to go out and hustle on and off campus. Say it was a class on dissecting a body, it could be doctors,
or student wannabes, a butcher, or an artist. All they needed was the money, interest, and to be found by the professor.
I guess it was a good excuse to frequent the taverns, as it's a prime spot to spread the word, and watching a human dissection
is one of those things that sounds like a good idea, only after a few pints... or quarts.
I'm amazed that system continued for almost 100 years.
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