New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-02
MEDICAL EDECATION.

Since the rise Of medical science the best stu
dents and practitioners have been waging an
incessant battle with quackery. In mos t<ivilized
lands to-day intelligence has far overcome
the enormous forces OF superstition arrayed
against it as TO bring all practitioners under
some form OF state control France England
and Germany lead in this respect. physicians
and surgeons there being compelled To prepare
themselves so thoroughly that only an unusually
clever man can become doctor without earnest
effort. But in our own country. outside of
few more advanced states supervision of med
zeal education and of doctors is standing joke
among physicians and Il standing menace to the
public.
At the annual conference Of the Council on
Education, branch of the American Medical
Association. now in session in Chicago this I'M
happy fact has just been forcby brought out
We make the following citations from the report
of the proceedings
DIR, Chester Mayer, a member of the state
board Of examiners of Kentucky said:
There are on average four thousand students
granted diplomas in America every year About
threefourths OF these men, three thousand Of
them, should never. be authorized TO practise modt
cine Primary education Is farce.
More specific charges were made by DR.. w.
T. Means. chairman of the judicial council of
the Association of American Medical Colleges
who supported his statements with statistics.
He said:
The qualified a medical prac-
titloner Is deficient IN knowledge OF bacterioosy,
chemistry physiology and anatomy. | doubt il he
could make a laboratory test for typhoid fever. |
have written to twenty five state boards, and /
find that 80 per cent Of the who fail at their
few weeks after In the few days intervening
where do they get their knowledge? They do not
swers to those questions which were asked on the
first examination and answer them like parrots.
In states where these conditions prevail rad
zeal changes in the methods of examining stu
dents must be made If the country is to be de
liyered from quackery. Education as now CON
Quoted in a large number of medical colleges may
be farcical, but the blame rests chiefly on the
authorities who give state examinations. When
DR.. Means says that ~ per cent of the men fail
ing on one examination pass another few weeks
afterward he discloses the dangerous lenency
of state examiners. If man, upon cXaminn-
ton. displays amentable ignorance of frmda-
mentas, why do the examiners permit him to
bob up again for their benevolent considera ton
fortnight Iaterf Every dictate of common
sense demands that such candidate be com
PEELED to devote at least more year To his
studies in order to get some genuine. utizable
knowledge. 1t rests with the state legislatures
and the medical examiners whether the men adj
mtted to medical and surgical practice shall be
able to treat cases inteilgently. The state per
hitting students to pass by mere "cramming" is
simply turning its citizens over to the care of
men who are incompetent if not also conscience
less.
Reputable doctors in states suffering from lax
laws indulgent examiners should take more
active measures than heretofore in arousing the
public 10 the seriousness of the situation Hap
PLY. New York State is far better off than most
of the states; yet even here the examination
system might be improved. The common weak
ness of American medical examinations state
and collegiate alike, is that they are so largely
written and relative to the size of the subject
so brief While 1t is vain TO dream Of attaining
the French examination system at a single
bound, we hope 10 see early progress in the di-
rection OF finding out what candidate knows
by quizzng him informally and drawing him
out in discussions for several days not In sue