Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-04-15
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
WILL RECEIVE WOMEN
Scarcity of Physicians, Especial.
ly in Rural Communities,
Leads University of Vermont
to Take Advanced Step
Fewer Doctors Now

In an effort TO partly relieve the urgent
need for more doctors, especially in the
rural Communities, the University Of YER
mont has decided to open the doors of
the medical college to women. Next fall,
for the first time In the history of this
institution. women will enter the college
on exactly the same status as men. Dean
II. c. Tinkhain, who has been furtherng
the project and who originated the move
ment. said Saturday that he expected be-
tween live and ten women to take up the
course next fall.
Dean Tinkha'n said that in the rural
communities o: northern Now England
and New York the situation was very
bad as regards doctors. lie Is cohstan' :
receiving letters from different localities
asking for relief In two places within
tho last year TIE demand for doctors has
been so acute that the communities have
offered to finance doctor starting in and
have bought him his Instruments. auto
mobile, office furniture. etc, for the put-
pose of inducing him to locate in their
midst. He told of strip Of country
bounded on the west of Hyde Park ana
johnson and on the east by Newport and
North Troy. 40 miles lonE. in which there
Is at present only one physician. This is
not an isolated instance but Is common
il the rural districts.
There arc many feds m medicine IN
which women can be as efficient as men.
While some may become exports In sur
gerry, 1t is not thought that they will turn
SO much to this as to other lines. There
Is great shortage of doctors for In
stitutionu work. laboratories, and In
many other fields. All branches viii Ire
open to the women. however a"d the
Same courses will be given them os are
the men, The diploma will carry with 1t
all the powers and privileges that the
others have.
In the academical depar tment OF the
University of Vermont are many women
who are eligible to take tho course in
medicine because of their previous
preparation. The same Is true Of other
colleges in New England. There is at
present TO place nearer than New York
where woman can attend e. medical
college.
In looking into the matter. it was found
that 30 of the 70 A grade medical colleges,
to which the University of Vermont be-
longs. accept women and that the same
is true of &c of the 80 State universities
A strange thing about it is that New Eng
land, where the older and most numerous
colleges are situated. has been more back
ward then almost any other part of the
country in this respect.
When Dean Tinkham first took hold
Of the idea, there was a crying need for
doctors because of the absence Of the
younger men who had gone into the serv-
ice. Recently he and others became more
active and in March the medical faculty
held meeting at which a committee
consisting Of Doctors J. B. Wheeler,
B. H. Stone and T. S. Brown was ap-
pointed to investigate the question Of CO.
education in medicine, and the ad-
visibility Of its adoption in t.: University
Of Vermont college of medicine. In addi-
ton to finding that a large number of the
best medical colleges did admit women
they also found that in view of the
large number Of medical schools which
do admit women. and Of the present con-
ditions in medical education It is the be-
lief of the committee that the time has
come when 1t Is advisable to have 1t
definitely known that the University Of
Vermont college Of medicine will admit
women on the same conditions that men
are admitted"
This report was read and adopted by
the medical faculty, which in turn recon-
mended that such action be taken by the
board OF trustees, il any action is neces-
sary. as will make this matter or CO.
education In medicine at the University
Of Vermont. perfectly clear to the public.
The consent of the board of trustees
was secured.
Dean Tinkham said Saturday that he
expected next fall the largest entering
class In ten years and he was not sure
but 1t would be the largest in Is years
In the old days when a medical course
was brief and inexpensive affair the
attendance reached larger proportions
than 1t has in recent years. Now two
years must be put In on the academical
side before admittance is given to the
medical college. The courses In the arts
college are arranged with a view to pre-
pairing the students for work in medicine
and also giving them a liberal education.
They are obliged to take sciences, mill
tary science and some other subjects.
which enable them to meet the require
men' Of tho American Medical associa
h' an A grade college.
"a lew years ago the number OF medical
students diminished but it has been
steadily on the increase since then. Be.
cause Of the lessening of the numbers
or practicing physicians the last Legisla-
ture provided scholarships for medical
students. There are fewer doctors to-day
in the United States than there were tan
years ago.