Which institution did Fleming attend before St Mary's Hospital Medical School?

Before attending St Mary's Hospital Medical School, Alexander Fleming studied at the Royal Polytechnic Institution.

Fleming moved from rural Ayrshire to London as a teenager and continued his education at the Royal Polytechnic Institution on Regent Street. The institution provided practical and scientific instruction and was an important part of his preparation before he entered medical training.

After finishing this stage of his education, Fleming spent about four years working in a shipping office. In 1901, an inheritance from his uncle John Fleming helped make further study possible. He then entered St Mary's Hospital Medical School in Paddington, London, where his older brother Thomas's medical career also influenced his choice of profession.

The Royal Polytechnic Institution later became part of the institution now known as the University of Westminster. It should not be confused with St Mary's Hospital Medical School itself, where Fleming studied medicine and later built his research career. At St Mary's, he qualified with distinction and eventually worked in Almroth Wright's bacteriology laboratory.