Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-30

, as is moro generally tho case. two
years OF prc-mcdical college work is
required. This gives the student La
tin. chemistry, biology. and other reg
ular college subjects which will lay
the best foundation for medical work.
Doctors Hard To Make
The medical course which follows
this college preparation ~ four years,
ana after that the doctor very often
spends two years as an inferno in
hospital. Tho graduate is therefore
Is years old at least. before he can be-
gin his career. He represents an in
ycstmcnt OF its1', Columbia univcr-
sity figures. About 1890 OF this he
has paid in tuition, and tho rest the
college has estimated.
Every branch OF medicine constantly
shows moro problems to be solved by
men who give some time to research.
Then there is a demand for even more
expert service than the graduate prac-
titioner can give. and so the young
doctor often combines practice with
further study to become a specialist.
Neither OF these lines OF work leads
him far afield. He stsyS close to his
university or goes to some other city
where opportunities for study may be
even moro desirable.
Even IL he decided TO be a general
practitioner. the graduate doctor still
clinEs to the city. In the city he
has tho benefit OF consultation with
other doctors. There arc medical So
cictics. hospitals. clinics and libraries
whore he can keep in touch with pro-
grcss.
In rural district. unless Il is near
n city. he must forcEo these adyant-
ages. and there g. added tho further
trouble Of transportation difficulties.
It costs around 10 cents a mile to run
an ordinary car on n good road Is
cents on a poor road At this rate
a doctor who Is called to homo five
miles out has to spend a dollar to
get there and back. And five miles
/ is accounted a short distance in the
country
To make such visits takes UP good
deal Of tho doctors time. Usually he
discounts this loss. But he does add
a charge tor distance to his fec when
he has to travel beyond certain fixed
limits. This makes the fec higher
than IL would be in city, and may
cut down his income in tho long run
because patients can afford to send
for doctor only In an extremity.
Mostly, though. the small town or
country doctor has all the practice he
can handle. Even with tho charge
for distance upon tho patient some
doctors are refusing TO make long
trips in maternity cases or for any
thing except serious emergency.
students Choose city work
All of tho facts OF town and coun-
try practice are well known to the
medical student long before he gets
his degree. Unless hc is strongly at
tractcd by tho possibilities for ecrv-
ice in country practice and unless he
Is impressed by the ' Ital need for doc
tors there, the studcr decides for city
work.
The result Is that tho uneven Compe-
ution for doctors between the big city
and tho small town has been growing
moro uneven as medicine progresses to
greater skill and specialization. Tho
small towns arc trying to contcrnct
this tendency by making life caster
for the ncighborhood doctor This
works in some casce, hut Il seems
probable that organized action viii
have to he taken eventually.
The plan most generally proposed as
"A remedy for the shortage Of smali
town doctors is to have the states do.