Omaha daily bee., 1915-09-05
MEDICAL SCHOOL
PROGRESS In YEAR
Higher Educational Standards Show
Beneficial Results for the
Profession.
FEWER BUT BETTER COLLEGES


During the last fifteen years there has
been a most remarkable and encouras-
ing Improvement in medical education
in this country.
In 1900. the Journal OF the American
Medical Association began tho collection
of statistics regarding medical colleges.
students and graduates There were then
Ise medical colleges. many of which were
joint-stock corporations. conducted
largely fOr the profit OF their owners
Many Of the colleges paid little or no
attention to admission requirements
Little was known regarding the aualifi-
cations OF the teachers. the possession
and equipment Of laboratories. or the ex-
tent and use made Of clinical material
In 1901 there were 2s.4l7 students. and OF
these, b.l44 we're graduated.
BY the collection and publication OF
the facts, In 1901, a beginning was made
in the campaign for the Improvement Of
medical educstion. The information pub
iished showed the necessity, and fur
nished the impetus which led to the cro-
alton Of the council on medical educa-
ton of the American Medical asBocia-
flon. The statistics were collected and
pnblished by the Journal annually for
five years, however. before the council
began active work.
In 1905. two educational standards were
suRgested, one for immediate acceptance.
and another, the Ideal" standard, TOR
future adoption. To secure more reli-
able information regarding the work Of
the various medical colleges In 1907 and
1909. two complete tours OF inspection
were made, and the FIRST two ciassifica-
tions prepared, the second OF which VISA
published In 100
ReductIon I'm Numbers.
BY 1a1o the number Of medical studenti
nad been reduced from &,ii2 to 21,b26,
the number Of graduates from $500 to
G,tio and the number Of medical colleges
from ls2 TO lSi. Meanwhile many OF the
institutions had undergone remarkable
internal development; better teachers
had been employed. better buildings
erected, new laboratories established and
better clinical facilities secured. Fur
dhermore, q remarkable Improvement
had been made In entrance standards.
The number OF medical colleges requir-
inE for admission. in addition to a high
school education. one or moro years OF
COLLEGIATE work, had been increased from
five 20 thirty-nva. and eight state
licensing boards had adopted a similar
standard.
From 1910 TO 1915 twenty medical ool-
legea were merged with others, and
nineteen became extinct, thus further
reducing the total number from 1si to
ninety-five. The number OF students
also was reduced. from 1855 to N,s9i.
and the total number OF graduates from
lsso 10 s.ksA
As a result the standard which was
termed ''ideai' in 1905 has become the
essential standard for 1915. The pros
pective medical student IL enabled to
make q more intelligent and Wise choice
OF q medical school. The annual output
OF medical graduates IL now an army Of
better trained physicians-trained TO use
the latest and best methods In the
recognition. treatment and prevention OF
disease. The Vublio viii undoubtedly
profit by the change.
Statistics of Students.
,T'he total number OF medical students
in the United States for the year end
Ang June 90 1915. excluding premedical.
special and postgraduate students. was
1891, u decrease OF i,eii below last year.
a. decrease Of AHA below 1914 decrease
OF ss9 below 1914 and a decrease o.
us.s5l (s71 par cent? below 1901 when
es.la2. the highest number OF students.
were enrolled. OF the total number OF
students. i3.9ia were In attendance at
the non-sectarian (regular) colleges. 7ss
at the homeopathic and 81 at the eclectic
colleges. The attendance ct the nonsec-