Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-02-12
REASONING IS FAULTY
Logic of Carnegie Foundations
Report Not Irrefutable.
Dean II. c. TinI<hnm of University of
Vermont College of Medicine Ex-
poets Steady Increase in Size
of Glasses.

Carnegie Foundation for the advance
ment of teaching to the commission to
investigate the educational system and
conditions Of Vermont was not absolute
~ irrefutable in It's logic, especially in
its conclusions as to what will be the
dire result of the college of medicine Of
the University OF Vermont raising its
standard of preparatory education, led a
Tinkham, dean of the medical faculty
and ask him how the faculty accepted
the reasoning of the foundation expert
Or. Tinkham had read the report as print
ed in the educational supplement to the
Free Press last week and he said
he had come to the conclusion that the
foundation Investigators were not al
together what he would term logical in
the argument that the entering medical
classes would gradually decrease in num-
Der of students, based on the fact that
only L entered In the year 1912 because
of the new rule that one year of col
lege work at least is required for adj
mission to the medical department
Proceeding from the statement that
only Il medical students entered in the
class OF 1912, the first term the new
preparatory requirements went into
effect, the Carnegie Foundation expert
says:
"Of these twelve only three were from
the State of Vermont, four were admitted
from other medical schools without col
icge training. while one was repeater
turned back from the former class In
other words, only by very liberal con-
was the entering class as large as twelve.
1t is clear that when the full entrance re-
quirement of two years Of college work
goes into effect. the school must accept
an entering class certainly not larger
than ten, and that it can scarcely hope
to graduate each year more than four or
five doctors. the majority Of whom will
probably como from outside of Vermont. -
1t would have been logical, said Dr.
Tinkham commenting on the foregoing
had there not single student entered
the class of 1912 Notice was given out
In 1910 that the new requirements fol-
admission, one year Of college work al
least would go into effect after 1911. As
only the high school certificate of gradua-
tion was necessary when the announce
49,
object for the students to have waited
until 1912, since all might have Joined the
entering class of 1911 and thus escaped doing
the extra year of college work demanded
The fact there were - students to entei
the class of 1912 was more or less of 3
surprise but nevertheless gratifying.
1t IS obvious, said DR.. Tinkham, thai
| If a higher educational preparation is de
manded from prospective students In any
| institution, the first year the new rule Il
in effect, will see n smaller number o.
entering students but 1t IS not logic t.
reason that each succeeding year vii
| mark n decrease in the number.
The College of Medicine has already
passed through one experience of raisnt
the standard of preparatory work. And
ing that entering classes were smaller a
first and then beginning to increase. Thu
| facts will bear out the truth OF thi
statement In 1898, when the four-years
course was established, the students en-
terng the medical college were required
to have at least a high school educa
ton. The class entering that year grad
uated in 1901 and there were only i
members. In 1902 the number of grad
yates increased to 81. The class of 100
had the same number and the class o
1904 graduated 50 doctors. This woul'
Indicate early recovery from the new
conditions.
DR.. Ttniham also called attention t.
the fact that the Carnegie Foundation
| has nothing to say beyond mere ref
| erence about the entering class of 1913
| the second year the one years colles
preparation was required. The number o
! entering students was IS, which certain
! lY shows an increase over the first year
And in this connection It is well to lool
forward to what IS going to happen II
1914 Tho dean Of tho faculty is alread.
in receipt OF letters from prospective stu
dents outside the state who VIII ente
she College of Medicine after year
work in college and as n stil weightic
aiEument as to what the future OF en-
terfng classen WIFI be, Dr. Tinkham point
| out That there are now no less than Q
students In the academic department o
the University Of Vermont doing thei
year in college so that they may ente
the medical department next year All o
these students might have entered Tufts
Albany Medical College, or medica
schools in Baltimore and Philadelphia
last fall as only high school education
is required by them. The prospects ar
excellent, said DR.. Tlnkham, that the en-
tering medical class of 1914 will numbe
40.
In recent article in medical jour
nal DR.. Tinkham wrote: THE fact tina
the graduates of the University of Yer
mont rank higher in examinations befor
state boards is prlma facie evidence tina
the character of the teaching In the Uni
versity of Vermont College OF Medicine /
or high grade, and that tho standar
or education maintained is as high, o
! higher, than the standard maintained b
medical schools like Harvard and Co