Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-13
MODERN PRACTICE OF MEDICINE
by FREDEI,IC }. nAsKIN

MASfiiNGroN, -. G.. September IL.
r'Ncn inc casual patient may notice
'hat II great change has come over the
'h.dical profession In the last ten or
htteen years When sou vent to n
""e'or about that long ago. he .,lrnos,
always f'lt Your pulse. sometimes made
YOU SUCK out your tongue and occa-
slonaliy tools Your temperatures lie
'hch wrote Il prescription with great
iapidity. told yom which drug store to
phtroniZe. aud when TO como back If
YOU did not feel better
You don't get off that lightly now
a"aNN The modern practitioner takes
the pressure OF your blood and analyses
" sample OF 1t. lie tests your heart
with ono machine ana Your lungs with
another. and gaHcs down Your wind
pipe With the aid OF third. He tests
%our "NcSigEt by making YOU look at
the end OF his finger ana across the
street and a. Il lot az little poker chips
on ~ revolving card. He punches and
iiCIlcS YOU to So" II Your r"iicScs are
GOOD. ana then he sits down and goes
into Your personal history your habits
and predictions. your emotions and
vices. fic diGs up Your ancestors for
four generations aud searches their
lives for signs OF tho pathological. tho
psychopathic and the ncurotic. all OF
which lie carefully notes down To
him YOU are a scientific specimen. =
diseased organism that he il going TO
make we'll IL 1t is humanity possible.
This change, SO Impressive and com
rarativcly sudden TO tho layman. is
10 the medical profession III, success
ful elimination OF long fight that II
has m:."c 10 improve Itself The pub
lie never demanded better doctor.
it accepted him as he was. II was the
doctors themselves that raised thc
standards Of medical schools. stiffcu-
- the state examinations provided for
hospital training
rhe latest dcyelopmeu, in This TO-
ccucratio: .. the doctor has been the
creation az "A National Eoard OF Mcdi-
cal Examiners. which vii! hold H.
first examinations in Washington next
month. This board is supported by the
Carnegie Foundations, and consists or
six goVcrunlent medical officers anG
niuc other physicians OF the highest
standing II will examine any phySi-
cian who applies 10 IL, and VIII give
him a certificate II he passes the tcst.
Needless to SAY, this certificate viii be
n guarantee OF his ability Further
more. many OF tn" state examining
boards have agreed 10 accept these
,.rtificatcs in lieu OF AN examination.
'rbus = stem has been taken toward
S:an,iardi1ing the requirements IN an
OF The states Furthermore. the na :
,ional board is % great practical value
10 the profession. because q man "h"
Las is certificate viii lie able 10 move
fron ono State 10 another without
passing u new examination.
I:ducntion Greatly Improved.
Tho most important factor IN inns
medical reform. however. mas occf t''
Improvement in medical education. lhe
American Medical Associat alton has been
lie leader in this work, and II annually
publishes figures which SHOW What ma :
been acCompiiehc Most siEniticant
2rc The facts that in 1908 there were
more than .G.00r medical students In
the United states. while this year the
number is only 1900. We are ohiE
producing little over ha!i az man
doctors nov. as wc were ten years ago
The reason is that the educational re-
ouircrncuts of the profession are 80
rigid that only the determined start:
and only the competent finish
\ physician who has been out OF col.
!cee about nineteen years was aske"
about the conditions Of medical educa-
lion at the dime OF his graduation.
1T was u crime to turn me loose
ON the public" he replied with en-
,has.s. He went on To tell OF the col
legc which was the best in the Inited
states at that time. but had pract1-
callv no entrance requirements. the
/ course lasted three years. but had been
, TWO years only short tune before
! The graduating class numbered about
I 80 not thirty OF whom had college
/ degree or amy college education. Very
! few Of them were more than twenty
| one or Twenty-Five years Of age. rms
! particular young doctor took the State
! examination in two Western states. IN
| each case he was required To show his
: diploma and pay a 81 fee That was
| all.
| Compare the eXpcricnc" Of THIS
| young doctor with that OF one who
| aspircs TO enter the profession to-day
| Bcfore he can even get into medical
| college he must have at least two years
| Of general college work. or III some
| cases u college degree. lie must then
/ go through four-year course and pass
] a very difficult examination. Then inc
| hospital and passes a difficult state cN-
| animation before he is allowed to prac-
! ticc.
!, Efficient When Tie starts.
! Under these circumstances. IL is no
: wonder that the Young doctor OF to-oa y
| is efficient 1t is practically impossi.
! bic for an inefficient to become q prac-
! ticinE physician. lie is not so very
! young either. The average age Of the
| graduating medical student Is twenty
! nine and fraction years. There IS
! certainly no profession which gets Its
recruits by such n rigid process Of
| selection. or which requires greater
| sacrifices Of them.
cal students has been accompanied by