The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-21

ing In less than year. Many young |
physicians begin in the country by sue
ceeding some old doctor, who either has
become too old to practice, or who re-
moves to the city
The so-called specialist is regular
physician, who, after years of practice,
devotes his time to some one disease or
class of diseases.
The specialist, except the one who de-
votes his attention to the eye, ear, or
nose, seldom begins as a specialist. He
usually does not attempt to act as a
specialist until he has succeeded in a
general way If he is successful to a
marked degree, his income, if he is To-
Gated in large city or at country
center, is likely to be considerably in
excess Of the amount obtained by the
regular family physician. Comparative
ly few physicians, even good ones, have
the. peculiar ability necessary for be-
coming successful specialist. The
majority of physicians will do better, in
every way, especially financially, to con-
tinue their family practice, than to at
tempt to become specialists. &c.
Regular family physicians, who are
not specialists, and who practice in
large cities, usually receive from 81 to
So per office call, the majority of such
! fees being 81; and from So to So for
! outside calls, the So rate being the
usual one. The country center physi-
clan seldom receives more than ST for
office calls nor more than So for outside
calls, altho the most successful may
command So for outside visits. In some
OF the smaller places the office fee is
as low as 50 cents, and the outside call
rate not higher than 81 or $1.25.
| Nearly every doctor of ability can
earn his living. The specialist, if ex-
tremely skillful in diagnosis or in surg
cry, receives very large fees, often run
ming into the hundreds or even thou
sands of dollars. Yet few specialists
are wealthy men, because it IS an un-
written law that the specialist shall
give of his time to cases where there is
little or no hope Of more than ordinary
remuneration; and he must often be
present, either actively or otherwise, at
numerous operations where there is no
possibility of compensation. +
Comparatively few young men are
specialists, because to become special
list one must have spent many years
in study and practice; consequently the
specialist of large fees receives com.
paratively little in the aggregate, If he
reckons his receipts from the time he
began to practice.
There are few pauper physicians. The
| oy,nfo mr. -
the city or in the country, is, in time
reasonably sure Of livelihood. Thu
kind Of stamina that makes the gooc
doctor is Of the nature to insure indie
pendence. But the medical profession
! is not, and never will be, a money mak
a ing business. He who loves money bet
= ter than his fellow men, he who love
! business better than study, and he VIII
cares more for bodily comfort than TO
! making the mighty sacrifices which he'll
to push progress and to relieve the SUI
n fering Of humanity, is untitled for tn
= medical profession and has no bushes
a to give it any consideration as calling
l. There is no profession, and there ar
= few callings, either of trade or Of bus
y, ness, which makes such demands upo
= it's practitioners as does the medics
!. profession. The practicing physician
the slave of his work; he has little Q
y no time for diversion or recreation; h
is liable to be called any hour of TIL
= day or night, in rain or in blizzard. Th
l. little time he has at his disposal b
e must use for study, for without contil
e ual study he cannot keep up with til
20 progress Of his profession.
70 e.- \ !. ). - r.
- Adaptability is absolutely essenti
- to any kind Of medical success. Ar
~ =, one can learn the elements of the tee
= nique of medicine and surgery, almo
y, - anyone can become ''book doctor,
~ and any well-read book doctor can su
y cessfully treat a case when he knows e
- actly what is the matter Wi
10 10 the patient and what the patient
NJ constitution requires. In the SIX
- at diagnosing lies the physician
W. real success and his real valr
y, ~ Without this proficiency he is little be
- ter than medical book. Unless t.
boy, some time during his comm
school career, shows indications of
of diagnostic instinct, he is not likely
to become good physician, and shou
II, not be allowed to enter the professie
nd Mere scholarship is not an indication
es adaptability. The successful physici
in is more than scholar. While he mi
lie have fundamental education, a
A must have passed thru the courses
IN medical study, and have answered gu
nd lions put to him by the severest exa
IT'S liners, he must also have had actual {
~ perience, hospital and laboratory DR.
res tice, and know, from observation a
m from feeling, much that no book or a
ors amount of theory can teach him.
%. ;. ). :.
of
al It is impossible to state with any
I'M gree of accuracy the proportion of c
lege educated physicians and tn,
ms whose higher education began with |
M medical school, but it is said at v
he ture that probably so per cent of
10. leading physicians are graduates of /
in classical college, and that about half
SITS little more Of the rank and file
zoe doctors are college-bred.
nd The medical school course is fr
It's. four to six years. A college educat
itv will prove of great value to the ph,
al clan, not because he will practice
ex. classics, but because he needs the di
pline and the more general knowle,
not which is not obtainable in the conn
in schools. IT is true that many Of
in most successful practitioners never
uf- tered college, but few, If any, Of til
I'M would refuse college education If Il
or could start again. The discipline of
gsi- higher education. with its enyironme