New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-22
ATTACKS HOSPITAL MEN
Mr.. FIexner, of Carnegie Fund,
Thinks Doctors Lack Learning.
BLAMES MEDICAL SCHOOLS
Declares Twenty Undesirable
Institutions Have Been Driven
Out of Business in Last Year.

Some progress has been made during
different parts OF the country have been
put out OF business"
That was one OF the statements made by
Abraham Flexner. OF the Carnegie Founda-
ton, which caused a commotion among his
! listeners at the third days session OF the
convention of the American Hospital AS
ISOLATION al the Murray Hill Hotel yester-
day Mr.. Flexner read a paper on hos
pital organization in relation 10 medical
education and research. The suppression
Of score OF undesirable" medical schools
within a year was generally credited to
Mr.. Flexner's report 10 the Carnegie Foun-
dalton a year ago after an exhaustive in
vestigat!on OF practically all the medical
schools In this country.
Mr.. FTexner again in his paper yesterday
attacked the present day doctor and sur
geon Of the large hospitals as inefficient
and in many instances not well educated.
either for the profession or in general
way There was a great lack of facilities
and privileges offered to medical students
by the hospitals, where they should get
their principal training. he said, and, on
the other hand, there were students from
some medical schools who had access to
hospital privileges, but who lacked the
previous training to make competent physi-
clans.
Hospitals cannot subserve the purposes
for which they are established unless well
trained doctors can be found TO man them.
said Mr.. FleXner. well trained doctors
must be educated largely IN hospital wards.
II hospitals do not afford medical schools
abundant facilities for clinical instruction
the hospitals must find themselves unable
10 discharge the function for which they
exist. And unless medical schools enjoy
the untrammelled use Of these privileges IN
the hospitals the medical students cannot
be- properly educated, and both the hospi-
tails and the public will suffer from the
lack OF competent physicians and surgeons.
The hospitals should do all or nothing in
| this respect, and not go half way about II.
Dependent on Famous" Men.
Mr.. Flexner said it was unfortunate that
medical schools were dependent TO large
degree for clinical instruction on men who
had become famous" through holding hos
initial appointments One way to build up a
large practice, ne SAID was 10 get a hos
pital appointment. The man in such a po-
sltion was usually more concerned with
the increasing practice and large income
than with his work as an instructor
"Tt Is obvious" ne said, that II hospital
Appointments have a worldly value and
medical schools in choosing clinical teach
ers are restricted TO such appointees' clih-
zeal teaching will continue 10 be exploited
for the worldly ends Of practising physI-
clans and surgeons"
Frederick D. Greene. general secretary OF
the Saturday and Sunday Hospital Asso-
citation. read a paper at the afternoon ses-
sion on How to Increase the Public Sup
norr of Hospitals" Mr.. Greene described
the Saturday and Sunday hospltal Iuhu as
Z. fs organized here and in London, and
said that a we'll organized system OF tha'
kind for disbursing intelligenty the contri-
buttons of individuals and societies to nos
pital work was needed in every large city
/ in order to encourage philanthropists "a
/ give where they knew their gifts would De
used wisely and for the most good.
! Ar the morning session Miss Nancy z
Fuicotr superintendent Of the Rockefeller
| Institute Hospital, read paper on The
/ Future OF the Trained Nurse MISS
Euicott lamented a condition Of things
which she said existed, where the trained
nurse. despite extraordinary ability, could
get only about $50 a week for working from
eight TO sixteen hours a day. There were
those in the audience who had a recollec-
tion OF paying as high as $50 or $50 week
/ for nurse.
"6e Cared For by Relatives
The best Miss Ellicott could hold out tof