Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-03-26
MEDICAL C0LLEGE NEEDS AID
Present Crisis Calls for Assist
ance of Loyal Vermonters.
Carnegie Estimate Of Value Of Insti-
tuition Is Not Fair, Says Dean VI.
G.. Tinkham. Addressing Mer-
ant Association.

That the Carnegie estimate os the value
of the college OF medicine at the Univer-
sity Of Vermont is not u fair estimate of
It's value to the State and community, !
and that II this institution Is to survive
the present crisis and live up to the
increased requirements of the American
Medical association something must be
done to aid it, was the burden of the
talk of Dean II. c. Tinkham at the
Merchants association lunch, on Thurs
day.
Dean Tfnkham's talk. besides being a
clear and dispassionate statement of the
present situation and the causes leading
UP to 1t, was an appeal to the people of
Burlington to give what city aid they
can and to help toward securing State
add for the institution. Many graduates
and students of the medical college, be-
sides a number Of academic students
from the university. We're present. The
university quartette rendered a number
of selections in very effective manner.
Daniel r. Grandy made an announce
ment about the ball team. w. n. Phelps
of South Hero rendered a song on Lake
Champlain of his own composing, and
the dinner was on the whole a most
spirited occasion.
In introducing the speaker Max l..
Powell made happy allusion to the COM
ment, some of II rather CALLING, which
followed the visits of de Tocqueville and
Dickens to America I'm the first half Of
the last century and of the good which
they did us. 1t was his opinion that the
Carnegie report was not perfect, He was
sure 1t contained some mistakes. But he
felt that it was honest and that the
discussion aroused would do us good.
DR.. T1nkham, by way of Introduction.
sketched briefly the history of medical
education in this country, showing how
the demoralized condition of the early
schools made efforts at standardization
of the training of doctors absolutely
necessary. This work Of Standardization
was taken up by the American Medical
association, which, without any authority
other than It's own high standing and
the necessity of the case, began rating
tho medical schools of this country on
an A, Il and c basis. This rating was
the result of certain qualifications or re-
quirements which they drew up. About
this time came into existence the
Association of American Medical Colleges.
The two have worked along parallel
lines in this work OF discrimination. They
interested the Carnegie Foundation in
the work and a survey followed. In this
survey. which occurred in 1909. the mere
matter of rating was varied for the
introduction of an economic basis of dis
elimination. The Investigators rather
} arbitrarily decreed that there was need
l Of only two medical schools in New Eng
land. and Set thpp,Sa1yao tn Jr{r, ,,t tla
others. Having taken this stand in an
! earlier report. they were not, DIR. Tink-
ham believed. exactly the right people
, to take up in an open-minded way the
= work OF passing upon the value of YER
mont's medical college to the State.
;, DR.. Tinkham then launched into all &C.
! count Of the things which tho medical
l college needs if it is to continue to he
rated in class A by the American Medical
t association. 1t must have hospital
. facilities of about a hundred beds above
-, what it will he possible for the Mary
Fletcher and Fanny Allen hospitals to
: provide. To provide these extra beds, we
must get from the State or somehow
about $lW,C0. To provide the necessary
equipment might take $780, 900. The present
appropriation from the State will have
" w III : W lOllN Vi MY Thousand
dollars.
DR.. Iinkham then outlined the value
: to the State of the institution. makinp
out a strong case. He said it sent into
our hill towns physicians whom We would
have difficulty in Turing up there from
Harvard and Yale. OF the al physician.
In Nermont to-day he said there wer,
II from Columbia. a fewer number frou
Harvard. three from Yale, and one from
Johns Hopkins. He showed how tn,
medical college was instrumental il
getting for the poor of this State between
two and three hundred thousand dollar,
In free hospital service.
He then took up what 1t meant to Bur
lington, and urged the citizens presen
to use their influence In having Burling
! ton do its part for the medical colleg,
by making its pauper cases clinical case,
and by establishing a small detentio,
hospital for contagious cases.