Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-27
DR.. GEORGE n. MEEkER
On Our Medical Future

DHILADELPHIA has the chance OF a
1 lifetime to become the medical center OF
the world and to confer an inestimable boon
upon its practitioners and the, public. &C.
cording to DR.. George H. Meeker: dean OF
the newly organized Graduate School OF
Medicine of the University of PENNSYLVANIA.
1T is largely up to Philadeiphisanss snss
on any serious scale of its kind in America,
shall succeed or fail. It Is an expensive
undertaking, and the University Is poor,
and we must depend on outside heip II we
are to keep going. The school which enllsts
the services Of two hundred of this city
most eminent specialists will be run at
loss of quarter Of million dollars this year,
and the figures will probably be the same for
the following year. We can stand 1t thaI
long. but after that we must have secnrtd eIoJ
substantial support or we shall have failed.
"If we succeed the new school will prove
not only an immense boon but an everiastlng
credit to Philadelphia and Philadelphians.
We have gone ahead and are the first IN the
field with the faith that moves mountains.
the faith that we shall be recognized and get
the necessary support.
"This city, IL those within it only realized
the fact, has the resources and the nosslDlii-
ties to make it second to none in practically
every field That it Is not does not reflect
any great amount of credit on Phiadel-
phians. I'VE shall need help from the state.
from wealthy individuals and corporations
of the state, but the rich men OF the city
must loosen their purse strings II the enter
prise Is to 20 over.
There is enough money made in Pennsyl;
yania to make any enterprise OF the kind
succeed. That the majority. of the money
so made has gone to other cities and states
is due largely to the fact that @ our lr wealthy y
possibilities and that confidence in our insti-
tutions which breeds large endowments was
not developed.
Opportunities for Specialists
1.-THE scope of the new school will be
moro readily understood when these facts
are borne in mind. There is great need
for specialists, those physicians who are
equipped by special training and long gen
ernl exnerence to treat successfully the
more serious maladies. The ordinary ply
sicinn Just out of college or the practitioner
with limited experience is not equipped to
give this kind of service
"The opportunities for physician be
coming a specialist are very limited. His
only chance consists in attaching himself
to some master as an assistant and Initiating
ideas and methods of this single man Then
again, while he reads his medical journals
and thus keeps in touch as best he can with
the medical progress of the day. he does not
have the advantage of seeing these masters
at work on the living case.
Under the present plan the physician
student has the advantage of the broad gen
eral experience to be got from studying
under and observing the work or TWO nun
dred of the city's most eminent specialists
who are giving, at great financial loss.
their extremely valuable time. He learns
not one mans methods. but two hundred.
'"The outcome of this venture should
mean that the city will be tadiating great
army of specialists, who will not only help
to make it the medical center Of the world,
but will reach the various provincial centers
where specialists are virtually an unknown
| thing and raise the science of healing to i'm
measurably greater heights.
"With an enormously greater number of
snecialists in the field the average patient
| Will find expert treatment within his reach
| at nrices that he can afford to pay.
1--WE will have great clinics where all
those who are unable to pay will receive
| the advantage of the services OF the flower
M our medical experts without a cent of
| COST TO them. We have secured the CO.
Iteration of nearly every hospital in the
| CIV 10 extend our clinical and observational
work and our rolls both in the student body
and ON the teaching staff, are open to quail
sed men, no matter what institution they
represent.
Can Surpass All Others
"Research work will be an important
toature. Even though we should master all
the medical knowledge that Is available. we
,nnst continue investigation into the realms
Of the unknown II medicine Is to progress.
So great stress will be laid on this work,
| been appreciated outside Is shown by the
enormous number of inquiries received from
ali over the country and, in fact, all over
the world,