New-York tribune., 1903-01-18
Careers for the Coming Men.
Practical and Authoritative Discussions the Professions and
Callines Open to Young Americans.
Medicine.
D, ID NJ. d. d New Yk


| trance upon the study of medicine in our State
cannot he passed by any young man unless he
is graduate of high school, or has acquired
about the equivalent of the freshman and sopho-
more years in good college. If he is a Bachelor
of Arts from any respectable college. he is ad-
mitted without question. But, this being want
ing, the qualifications for admission are about
what 1 have stated
The ideal preparation. it seems to the present
writer, is sufficient knowledge of Latin and
Greek of mathematics and of the English Ian
guage geography and history, to enable boy
to enter the freshman class in such college as
Amherst. Union, Oberlin the like, and then
to pass the full period of four years in such
college. 1t does not to me that man is
any better student of medicine for having
tered Yale Harvard and passed through the
courses very largely elective choosing for him
self what either agreeable or what are sup
posed to fit him to enter upon the study of medi-
cine 1 do not think the permission granted
in some colleges to call the senior year the first
of medicine Is of any great service. l believe
the young who wishes to study medicine
should not enter upon the special studies neces-
sary for proper comprehension of his duties as
a medical student, such as physiology and BIZ
ology, until he has actually begun the studies
leading directly to the degree of NJ d. The
prosecution of special studies leading up TO the
study of medicine, in undergraduate college,
takes away time from the general culture
needed for learned profession. In other words,
the study of medicine directly indirectly,
need not be begun until the medical school Is
reached. Since it is important for young man
to begin the study of medicine not later than his
twentieth year. it would be preferable for him
to leave college at that age if the requirements
for admission have been so great that he could
only enter as a freshman in his eighteenth year.
In school life or in college, French and German
should be thoroughly studied, and by the ear.
medical student who wishes to take high
rank in his profession should be able to read
French and German; still better to converse in
these languages. But such q preparation as
this is ideal. No end of young men become sue
cessfu and distinguished practitioners
certainly very useful ones-without such prep
araton this But this should be had if a
high position be sought. Under no circumstances
do l think Latin and Greek are to be omitted
in the preparation for the study of medicine.
How can a young man ever have a real com
prehensiOn of what is meant by the Greek and
Latin anatomical and therapeutical terms, used
so freely in medicine, without knowing some
thing of the etymoogy of the Latin and Greek
languages? Without such knowledge it is diff
cult matter of memory to learn such anatomical
terms as levator anguli oris, latssnlus dorsi
deltoid. os brachii, sphenoid, hundreds of which
a medical student must have at his tongues
end. A young doctor ignorant of French or Ger
man will be none the practitioner, al
though less accomplished in medical literature
at first hand but if he does not know enough
Latin ard Greek to comprehend anatomical de-
scriptions and the names of symptoms of dis
ease, he never be at home in his profession