Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-01-31
Progress In Medical Education.

We are indebted to I. 7. TALBOT. NJ. D.
of Boston, for the following interesting
sketch on the progress of medical cduca-
tion:
The first medical degree ever conferred
in this country was that OF Bachelor of
Medicine. To this degree ten students
were admitted in Philadelphia, June 81,
l76S. Two were admitted to il in New
York the following year. Thus in the
first American medical colleges, as in Eu-
rope, the dignity and value of the degree
of Doctor of Medicine was guarded by the
existence Of preliminary bNccalaureate
degree. At Philadelphia the doctorate
could not be reached until three years af-
ter admission to the preliminary honor.
The candidate had also to write and pub
lish Latin thesis and pass severe exam
nations. On reorgmizing after the aus
pension occasioned by the Revolutionary
war, the Philadelphia institution in 1889
abolished the Bachelors degree, and the
other colleges following the example one
by one, the practice OF comforting this de-
gree ceased altogether in 1913. Since that
date only the Doctors degree has been con-
ferred, and that on conditions which have
made il Of less value than the preliminary
degree ought to possess. This year, the
authorities Of Boston University signalize
a new departure by going back to first
principles, restoring the degree of Bache-
lor OF Medicine, establishing that of Bach-
elOr of Surgery Ia measure which has lust
been recommended in Great Britain by
the Royal Commission on the Scottish
Uniyersities), and finally presenting two
elective courses of three years each, lead
ing to these degrees, aud two elective
four-yedr courses, leading by way of these
lower degrees to the doctorate in medicine
and surgery. As but few of the other
medical colleges require attendance more
than Two years, and many OF them even
less, this new arrangement, under which
three years is the least time in which the
preliminary degree can be won, and four
years made the normal period for full
medical course, indicates great advance
in the direction of European thorough
ness Of training.
But if our American institutions have
been behind the European IN some respects,
they have led them in others. Thus while
the oldest medical college for women in
Europe is not yet three years old, the New
England Female Medical College WAS in
corporated in 1850. Under the provisions
Of the late Russell -Gurney Act, the British
universities are just beginning TO arrange
for the admission of women 10 their medi-
cal departments to be taught in glasses
apart from the men. This necessarily di-
vides and consequently lessons the amount
OF instruction TO each class, rs in clinics,
special operations, etc, so that neither eau
have the full advantages Of both. On the
other hand, the Boston University School
of Medicine has, from its opening, i've
years ago, given the same instruction to
men and women, and opened it's doors TO
them alike, either M students or teachers.
The influence of these advance measures is
reaching even the most conservative of the
other medical colleges, for at this very
time the authorities of Harvard have a
committee delibernling on the expediency
OF opening their medical department TO
women, and some of the alumni are already
urging that similar four years course be
established at Cambridge