The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-21

Of the New partisans'
For a platform, can any Of the New
patriots furnish in less then ten words a
more truly representative platform!
The Carnegie Medical Censorship.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Ad-
vancement % Teaching has just pub
lished 10 fourth bulletin on medical
education in the United States and Can
ada Il portly pamphlet containing
Sts pages devoted 70 the report proper.
which has been prepared by ABRAHAM
F.EXNER. and an introduction Of sixteen
pages from the pen of DR. HENRI s.
PRITcHETT, the president Of the foun-
dation.
What ABRAHAM FLExNEE might think
and have 10 say about American medical
education would BE- of comparatively
little Importance in and Of itself. The
ease n quite different however. when
he speaks with the sanction Of the Car
negis Foundation for the Advancement
u Teaching That corporation L. the
Trustee 81 a large sum Of money gener-
ously gwen BY Mr. ANDREW CARNEGIE.
the income Of which l. applied 10 the
payment n pensions 70 retired profess
soTs and instructors whom the founda-
ton deems deserving So far a. least
M medical education u concerned ~
reports indicate that in selecting the
recipients Of Mr.. CARNEGIF's bounty
regard Is 20 be had TO the status and eK-
ceilence of the institutions a. which they
have taught rather than 10 the personal
merits of the benehciaries themselves.
A doctor of recognized ability may have
taught medicine faithfully and well for
forty year.. but At a medical school
which does not come up 10 the standard
fixed by the foundation he IL 10 h. left
penniless after HE working days are
over. On the other hand those whose
teaching has been done under more
favorable conditions A. institutions
which fulfil the foundations require
ments will find themselves within The
circle 81 the shower Of gold when age
sounds the hour for retiring Therefore
il is that ABRAHAM FLExNKR's verdict
on the medical schools II the United
States and Canada u q some practical
interest and Importance to American
teachers Of medicine. Most Of them
presumably desire 10 be eligible for the
Carnegie pensions n their particular
institution does not meet the approval
81 ABRAHAM FLExNER they are barred.
II thus happens that the power 70
bestOW pensions comes very near mean
ing the power TO prescribe the standard
81 medical education on this continent
unless the institutions engaged in teach
ing medicine unanimously conclude that
they had rather 60 without Mr., CAR
NEGIE's money than n have his ap-
pointses dictate what they must b. and
what they must Do IN be deemed worthy
II his bounty
We do not assert tina, the Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement OF
Teaching II consciously endeavoring 10
assume this position Of authority. In
deed. DIR. PRITCHETT in the introduction
20 the report before NJ expressly dis
claims any attemp, on the part II the
foundation to become a s,andardizing
agency Il n nevertheless apparent.
by the Clearest implication. that is in
fueDce n being e1ertsd in that direction
and that there will he m Carnegie pen
sioners from institutions which disre-
gard Ia suggestion for Improvement and
reform.
No doubt il IA trs that there are some
medical schools in this country which
are no, what they ought 20 he. The
Carnegie Foundation Can Justly refuse
10 recognize such institutions In its bene-
fetal disbursement Of Mr.. CARNECIEs
money. Il Is going very far. however
20 prescribe a radical reform Of the
whole system Of medical education in
the United States and Canada, and this
not NJ the result Oi a careful inquiry BY
leaders in the profession bur a. the out
come oi a report prepared by a single
individual investigator. nancy, SIR
ABRAHAM FIEXNER
That this ~ no e1aggeration will be
made manifest 10 any one who perIses
Mr. FLEXNEB's chapter on RecOnstrtic-
ton In the first place he asserts that
a medical school IL properly a univer-
sity department, and secondly that there
should b. only one medieval school 10 a
single town. Applying these PROPOSE
tons N the middle Atlantic region.
New York. New jersey. Pennsylvania.
Delaware. Maryland and the District 81
Columbia, he would retain ons MEDICAL
school connected with q university IN
the cities Of New York. Syracuse, Phila-
delphia, PittsbuFg and Baltimore. Then