Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-10-05
UNIVERSITY OF VA. NOTES

opinion and appralsement of The
CLINICAL teaching and facilities at the
medical scnool and hospital OF the
University OF Virginia which Will
probably nave an important bearing
on the outcome of the joint meeting
u the Boards of Visitors OF the I'M
versity OF Virginia and the Medical
College OF Virginia, to be held TO-
morrow in Richmond, to consider the
question of the consolidation OF the
Cwo state supported medical schools,
was disclosed here today by DeaL
Theodore Hough.
DR.. N. p. Colwell, secretary of the
Council on Medical Education anC
Hospitals of the American Medlcal
Association, upon the basis OF hnD,
Official Inspection once every two
years the medical schools OF the couL
,ry are given their making, has VIII
Ten ms opinion upon the clinical mat
al available at Charlottesville and
he method OF using it in the medl-
cal department Of the University 0.
Virginia.
Inc adequateness of clinical ma
cerlal at Charlottesville has been IL
most discussed point in the medical
school removal controversy AID the
OPINION OF DR.. Colwen is certain l.
carry weight on account OF his III
Innate acquaintance with this phase
ii medical education throughout IL
country.
Or. Golwell's opinion is based upU
the findings OF i've inspections OF l..
medical school and hospital conduct
ed by the American Medical Assocla,
rlon since 1907. His letter to Dean
hough follows;
The hospital clinical material at
Charlottesville, in both quantity and
quality, meets the min mum require
ment of the Council of Medical Edu-
cation. AS to quantity, the inspectors
found that the difficulty was not in
securing more patients but in finding
room for them. By providing more
space it was evident that the num-
Der of hospital patients would large
~ exceed the daily average of 22O
Cne number found on the last inspec-
ton.
"A more important matter, how
ever, in the opinion of the inspectors
was the extent and tnoroughness Will
which the clinical material in tht
University Hospital was used for med
ical instruction. The University o.
Virginia Department Of Medicine was
one of score of medical schools
which were the earliest to adopt the
more modern methods of clinical IN
structon by the use of bedside sec
ton clinics and the assignment OF pa
lients to senior students who wrote
the histories; made physical eXamlna-
tons, including the essential labora-
tory Investigations; and who regular
ly visited the patients assigned tC
them and kept careful check on The
course of the diseases and the re
suits of the treatment given.
Since the first inspection in 1907,
the University Of Virginia Depart
ment of Medicine has always stood IN
the Councils highest rank OF medl-
cal schools, even being in the a .
class between 1912 and 1916, vine
that special classification was USED
This rating was given because OF the
potent educational atmosphere
which all medical teaching was con
Quoted; the high type OF medical
teachers employed; the un4uestloned
care with which the rules coye'
the admission and promotion OF stu
dents were administered; the thoroug
manner in which students work was
supervised; and the unusually well
arranged routine of clinical lnstruc-
ton.
Gwen though the quantity Of out
patient material was not as large as
that possessed by some MEDICAL
schools, this was more than offset
in the opinion of the inspectors, D!
an ample supply of hospital mate
by the excellent use made OF 1t, q
the invaluable clinical training VIII
the students secured there1rom
fact, in the various surveys OF n
cal colleges, the inspectors had ire
auent occasion to suggest to other
institutions that they adopt
methods of clinical instruction to
lowed in the University of Virginia
Department of Medicine.
whatever may be the outcome OF
the proposed plan TO merge the tW
medical schools Of Virginia. 1t IS tf
be hoped that nothing will hinder tt
continuation and further develop
ment of the excellent methods g
clinical instruction which are now
Ioouos Jsotpelu mos VI peGoIdu! gu!