birmingham medical institute - section of psychiatry
The Birmingham Medical Institute (BMI) was founded in 1875 as a membership
organization to provide a meeting place and medical library for the medical
profession in Birmingham and the surrounding area. Its location moved from
various sites in the city to 36, Harborne Road in 1957. Here it was joined by
the West Midlands Regional office of the BMA and Local Medical Committee. It was
initially a Library, then a Social Club but in 2009 became the BMI Conference
Centre. Much of the activity was based upon the requirements of outside
organisations for meetings, conferences and catering. From January 2016 the BMI
relocated to the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. It follows, that instead of
administering a building hired for the conduct of meetings etc, the activity
will be solely the organisation of meetings. Coincident with this move is the
change in medical postgraduate education based upon Health Education, England.
There will therefore be an even greater need for the smaller medical
organisations to be brought together, a role that the BMI is well placed to
fulfil. In order to accomplish its mission its future activity will be
concentrated upon Primary care and Public Health because secondary care
education is now largely organised nationally by the Royal Colleges and
Specialty Societies. The BMI also has a commitment to provide activities for its
members