The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-08

the n0DleSt III the Worlu, anu 10 lOlloW IL
as such. with courage and enthusiasm,
said DR.. George +. Shrady, the distin-
guished physician of presidents, and
veteran editor of the Medical Record.
But let us begin at the beginning.
continued DR.. Shrady. Let us take the
would-be medical student. standing on
the threshold of his career. The ques-
ton you ask me is, How is this young
man going to succeed as a practitioner
of the science of medicineT
''In the first place, your typical young
man must consider whether or not he Is
suited for the medical profession at all.
Does he experience 4 vocation, an abso-
lutte call toward the life of a physician
Does he look upon medicine as some
thing far more than a mere money
making pursuit? Is he content to de-
vote his whole mind TO the study OF
medical science and its developments, to
continue increasingly to study until
death shall summon him to his reward
Unless your young man can answer
these questions in the affirmative, ne
had better give up all thoughts of be
coming a doctor and look out for some
more suitable walk in life.
"Supposing. however, that strong
natural inclination toward medicine ac-
tuates him, and that he is capable of
graSping the true scope of that grand
profession. your typical tsudent will
appreciate frank talk on the subject
of getting on First of all. he must
not dream of beginning his medical
studies until he has acquired q sound,
classical land, if possible, college) edu-
cation. There is no such thing as inspir-
alton in medicine. Hard work and
knowledge, together with the Unborn yo-
cation hitherto dwelt upon are the ply
sican's stock in trade. Therefore. to
the would-be student. / say: Go first
to a college and build the foundation Of
your career A college education, or at
least an education under n first-class
private tutor, is Indispensable.
You may ask me: If this be so. what
is the poor boy to do? What is to be-
come of Americas pride, the proverbial
penniless lad who cannot afford college.
and yet wants to be a successful physl-
cian?' 1t may sound cruel. but my adj
vice to that boy. if he wants to be hap
by. is to give up all thoughts of medi-
cine. OF course one such lad in thous-
and has the real grit in him. calculated
to overcome all obstacles. If he really
long run: but take my word for it, he
will go through college first, if he has to
work his way. Such boy reminds one
of Wendell Holmes smile of the horse
with the star in his forehead. The other
horses make all the running at the out
set of the race: but look out for the
horse with the star on his forehead-he
is going to pass the winning post first,
in the long run.
when your student has taken his de-
gree in arts (and in science, too. if pos
sible) he is ready to take up medicine
but not before. No man who jumps
out of a high school straight into a med
zeal college can hope to amount to much
Ii is just as well to frankly admit right
here that some capital is necessary to
study properly Medicine is the most abb
sorbing of professions, and no medical
neophyte can afford to be hampered by
Decuniary considerations. He should be
able to remain in college until he is 70
or 81. and then to give his whole work
ing time to his four or five years of med
zeal preparation. Let him not think of
eking out his subsistence by writing or
other forms of outside labor. Even
should he obtain Il degree under such
conditions. he cannot be a competent
doctor. Medicine is a jealous sweet
HEARTH allows of no rival.
Here. then, we have Mr.. Typical
Young Man, bachelor of arts, well
grounded in classics and science, con-
versant with French and German this
is great desideratum), and about to
enter upon medicine proper. His first
step must be to join good medical col
lege. He can get as good an education
here in America as he can i'll Europe. in
deed the clinical advantages are actual
" better in New York, Chicago, Phila-
delphia and Boston than they are any
where else in the world. The details of
the four years course may be picked
up in any college catalogue; and such a
course, under the costly conditions now
obtaining, will cost (eXclusive of per-
sonaI expenses) from $500 to 500 per
year. The degree of NJ. d. thus fairly
won, year or more spent by way OIL
post graduate course. and in the hos
pitfalls, must follow. Every conscientious
physician procures hospital diploma
before going out into the world: and nc
learns more in that last year than ne
has done in all his previous term OF
study. The contagious diseases hos
pitfalls, too, must be familiar ground to
him. Let me give You an anecdote,
illustrating the grave difficulty under
which young physician, who has not
regularly attended the contagious
wards. must labor A doctor of my ac-
quaintance, since well known, but then
just graduated, was hastily summoned
10 attend sick child in city tenement
He could not diagnose the little suffer
er's case. as they did not admit con
tagious diseases to his hospital. The
child's mother, an honest Irishwoman
anXi0usly inquired regarding her off
spring. A cold sweat broke out on the
physicians face. Already he saw him
self disgraced, Inundated by lack OF
knowledge TO gain time he stammer
ingly told the woman that the child was
suffering from conjunctivitis, i. e., from
Il running. at the eyes.
"'Ah. then doctor, dear remarked
his patients mother, rather discomfort
edly you needn't be putting me off wild
your long Latin names. Sure, | know
what measles look like. as well rs yor
do The word came just i'll time. A
case of measles it was, and Il very ordi
nary one: but my friend would not have
recognized the symptoms but for thu
mothers lucky intervention. You cal