The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1921-05-03
Shortage Of Physicians in Small
Towns Is Serious.
BONUSES OFFERED BY SOME
Neglected Communities Are Making
Inducements 70 Medical Graduates TO
Come and Practice for Them--Rem-
sdy for Shortage 10 Seen In Plan to
Have States Develop Some oroanira-
ton for the Medical Service for
Small Towns.

DaEth Oh tHe Country are NNtiNh ''Vi
o shortage which the city dwellcr can
scarcely comprehend. This Is the short
nge Of doctors.
In the cities and large Industrial
towns about every square has a doc
tors sign. Whole Office buildings are
given over To- medical men. And II YOU
still doubted that doctors constitute
fair quota OF the population, n glance
nj a classified city directory would show
you exactly how many columns Of doe
tors stand ready TO lid" you over any
attack of germs, writes Frederic ].
Haskin IN the Chicago News.
But 80 out in the country, or even
to remote town, ana you might have
to send % miles or more for doctor
IN case OF an emergency. And there
would lie no ambulance Ia take you
10 81 hospital un short notice.
This j. difficulty 81 serious that
the neglected communities are trying
"a do something about it. lis widely
advertised that IN Mnssaclusr.ts doe.
torless towns are offering bonuses TO
young medical graduates tu come to
practice for them. Similar Inducements
are held out Ia other states. In some
eases house has been offered to the
doctor, wciShly argument IN time
when HOUSES are, II anything, more
Snrce than country doctors. In ai-
most every ease n"ipd tie. community
seems Ia lee able Io assure tlie pliNsl-
r'sn that he will have plenty 10 de- and
thnt lie should nuke S2,tnO or more
year. saj5
Some Of the GOcio-lrsS .tnSifs have
conducted their dliyr for d9eidrS With
success. others are sulI hilting. ~
generally takes more thif,tsss house.
and u prospect of S2,tEn Al yr,tr lo'lui't,
a doctor To the country nowad!g$s;
Doctors Hard 70 Make.
The fact L., II costs 50 iml,h money,
Tine and work I" hrc"ue n doctor now
that the graduate feels thar he he-
serves large reward. Ii IL not 50
long since two years was lire length
Of the medical course aud 4 high
school diploma wIs NOT always re-
quired OF the medical student. From
that point, The medical colleges have
been steadily raising their standards
until now u first class university de
mandS either an A. II. degree before
the student can begin his medical
course, or, rs Is more generally lie
ease, two years OF prc-mcdical college
work Is required This gives the stu
dent Latin, chemistry, biology and 9th
or regular college subjects which viii
lay The best foundation for medical
work.
The medical course which follows
Ills college preparation Is four years,
and after that The doctor very often
spends two years as an inferno In
hospital. The graduate Is therefore
n years old AT least before hc can
begin his career. lie represents an In
Vcstment of $4,000 Columbia university
figures. About 81 ,2OO Of THIS BE- has
paid IN tuition aud the rest the college
has estimated. e
Every branch Of medicine constantly
shows more problems to he solved by
men Who can give some time 10 re-
search. Then there IL Il demand for
even more expert service tllaiis the
graduate practitioner can give. $and
go the young doctor often combines
practice With further study 10 HEROINE
a specialist. Neither Of these lines oY
work leads him Ear sRpld u. ARys
CLOSE 10 his university ar goes {" s1me
other city where opportunities Tur
iBtuJy may be even more desirable.
Majority Cling 10 City.
ETSn " he decided Ia he n general
practitioner, the graduate ddctor sill
Pll''," - Fc-c't".. In the - hr faS
the benefit of consultation With other
doctors. There are medical societies,
hospitals. clinics aud libraries where
ne can keep IN touch S'ith progress,
In rural diStrict, unless II Il near
a city. he must forego these SdNsn-
tsgeS. and there Is added the further
trOuble 0f transportation difficulties.
n costs around 10 cents mile ia run
mn ordinary car OF, u good road ~
cents on a poor road. Al this rate
doctor wlh IL called Ia n home Ave
uIles ont las IN spend dollar {" get
there and back. And Ave miles II ac-
counted short distance In the coun.
try.
20 make such visits takes M n COED
deal Cr the doctors time usually be
discounts This loss. But he does add
charge for distance 80 his Zee when
he has ia travel beyond cegluin hNed
limits. This makes the Zee higher
than II would he In, II city. and may
cut down his income In the long 7lr
because patients can AFFORD to send
for doctor only In an extremity
Mostly, though, the small town nj
country doctor has oil the practice HI
Cnn handle. Even with the charge fO'
distance upon the patient some doc
tors are refusing 10 make long tripi
In maternity cases OF for anything ex
cept serious emergency.
All % the facts Of town and gopB