The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-19
VIRGINIA HAS TOO
MANY PHYSICIANS
Education Commission Says They Are INSULT
clently Educated--Sta Should Have But One
Medical School, Located in Richmond,
Which W Guild BE come Medical centre
of bDuth.

, velopmcnt.
This cannot be secured in the high
school and must be obtained in ar
articuatsd college. The preliminary
requirements should be formulated
| therefore. to establish a distinct rela.
ton between the medical school and
the university.
Moreover. the relation OF tho doctor
mas changed entirely. 1t was for
morly an individual ORC to his patient
Now the physicians function IS
broader. His chief duty is fast be-.
coming preventive and social. This
new type OF doctor. the scientific ply.
stefan. must frat of oil be an educated
man. Nothing lower than university
IDEALS and standa rds will meet the re-
| quireInents the public has right 10
demand OF him.
OF tho 1870 medical schools in tho
! United States and Canada, thirty-odd
require ono or more years of college
work for entrance; nifty have their en-
trance requirements approximate high
school graduation, and the others be.
long to that class that ask little or
. nothing more than the rudiments of a
common school education
Different Standards.
or the three medical schools in Vir-
Sinia. the University of Virginia re-
Quires four years OF high school and
entrance. The Medical College of var
s!nia anc University College OF
Nedicino require less than the com.
sletion of q four-year high school
course.
Medical schools must abandon tho
Old didactio typo OF instruction and
equip laboratories provided with tho
Apparatus necessary for the proper
teaching of Individual students In tho
medical sGenco; they must develop
dlspensarien and secure proper teach
Ing privileges IN hospitals with sut-
hcient clinical facilities to allow
thorough training in the practical
medical branches ;and they must NIL
their professional chairs with trained
teachers and investigators. But these
things. however necessary, will not
suftice. 1t would be folly for suca
schools to admit crude, unframed boys
TO their courses and expect to turn our
doctors who Will be able to meet fully
their responsibilities or human life
and fulfil their whole duty to the State
and TO society, because such boys are
incapable of graeping the training Of
fered.
3. This one medical school should be
located in city.-while 1t is true
that, as the report OF the Carnegie
foundation on medical education In the
United States and Canada says, The
Improvement of the medical depart
ment OF the University OF Virginia
since 1905 has been one OF the most
striking phenomena in recent medical
school history" and there is ground
tor the belief that G school adequate
for the needs OF tho State could be
built up at Charlottesville. IL ample
means were avRllable nevertheless, in
the opinion OF tais commission, II our
argument In favor OF a single medi-
cal school in the State Is correct,
Richmond Is the logical location tor
that school. because 1t Is highly I'm
probable that this end. single school
could be attained in any other way
Moreover the location OF the school
IN q large and rapidly growing city
like Richmond, with its varioun medical
activities tEd with It's hospitals
which could be utilized FOR clinical
teaching. would make tho development
of clinical facilities IN suitable variety
sufficient for school OF 200 students
Indeed, It seems obvious that d medi-
cal department of the university To-
Gated in Richmond and properly organ
tied and supported would become a
medical centre for a large section of
the South IL so located, IL could and
should direct the work OF the State
Health Department and exercise All
Obucr SlIlldF functions.
II tAe desirable close connection
with the college Is to be maintained
one or two years OF the work might
be duplicated at the university with
advantage
I. This medical school should not
only receive an increased annuity
from the State. but it should in addi-
ton. be literally endow ed-Aodern
scientific methods of instruction have
expensive OF all the professions The
Increase in cost over the old methods
has been enormous, and Few medical
SCHOOLS have income sufficient 10 pro-
vide 1t. Fees alone are far from suf-
hcient. 1t Is universally conceded that
good medical education cannot be
conducted Mt a proIit or even nj cost
The relation OF 4 medical school to
It's hospital must be OF the same kind
as Its relation TO its laboratories, but
the hospital may be separately
financed, and such an arrangement
might probably be made in Richmond
in connection with tho city
Tne state rcity can legitimately aid
medical education by completely aand-
ing over 10 high grade medical schools
the ward service in hospitals financial
~ managed by proper State or munich
pal authorities.
most comprehensive and intelligent
study of medical education In this
country, gives it as his opinion that
1t VIII require from $1,000 to $50.
coo year to maintain modern mcdi.
cal school OF 200 students.
Cost of McdicnI SCHOOLS.
The actual cost of conducting Johns
Hopkins Medical School, with e97
students, is something over 100000 a
year, not including. however the
salaries of clinical professors; and
the teaching hospital Is supported by
adequate ana separate endowment.
Tuition fees are about half this
amount.
Following arc some Of the budgets;
Harvard. 2S5 students $25l,3S9; Micbi-
gan, $50 students. 100000; Columbia.
@i2 students. S2S?,oI2; Cornell (N. T.,
ana ices Sl6,5iG: tuition fees about
0ne-third this umounD. COZ students,
$2ea,SSS; University Minnesota budget,
$il,5S6; Yale, $la,@1l; University OF