The New York herald., 1922-04-09
PROBLEMS ARE NUMEROUS
TO Become a Doctor, Begin
ming at Age of Six, One
Has 81 Years of Study.
PRES. HARRY PRATT JUDSON
OF the University Of Chicaxo.

more complicated, more cntangled. one
with another, more difficult to recon-
structrin any new and simple way. A
curious body Is a group Of educators
seeking solution Of one Of the many
Chinese puzzles in their calling. There
will be reams Of paper, showing how
things are. how they came to be as
they are, what are their many and
obvious infelicities; then what null
titude Of difficulties bristle In the way
Of every approach toward any new
and desirable adjustment. Yes. there
certainly should be radical changes,
but any attempt to bring about such
change will at once cause more trouble
than 1t can possibly remedy. Really,
ii can't be done. To be sure, some
new complication can be added-no
great thing in itself, but the long sue
cession OF such things has created the
jungle In which our educational sys-
TEN Is tangled and is continually add
ing to its mazes. But to cut paths
through the jungle, least of all to clear
it up altogether. is quite out Of the
question. 1t can't be done.
Dr.. Judson Despsirs of
Educational Jungle
The salient facts. however, are quite
obvious and have been copiously dis
cussed. The whole educational process
has become too long, too involved, too
repetitious. There Is lack Of cohesion,
q very definite lack Of sequence.
1t is too long. Beginning theoreti-
lfxt~ . l. - Al -
years in the elementary school. four
years in a seconca ~ school and four
years in q college. That brings the
average student, should he go through
all, to the age of %. Then II he goes
on in q normal medical school Of high
grade he takes four years more, bring
ing him to the age OF rs. Then a year
at least as inferno in a hospital en-
ables him at the age of ~ to begin
the practice of his profession. 1t will
be then several years later before he
can md himself fairly established in
practice, and, really, to many the age
will be 80 or more.
In fact tho records show that in our
best medical schools the age Of gradu-
alton is about 26k. The hand at least
is more facile q few years before that
the laboratory training Is more ef.
fective and perhaps the mind is more
flexible. The course as q whole Is too
long. In its earlier years it is too
long in detail. The eight years Of the
elementary school should be six. An
actual test OF a seven grade elemen-
tary school has shown conclusively
| that the eight grades OF work can be
done in seven with no loss OF training
whatever. With proper adjustment
and proper attention to sequence the
same can be done In six.
Curriculum Of Our
Colleges Grew By Accident
The American college curriculum is
the outsrowth Of accident. Its origin
antedated any American university. 1t
was at the outset supposed to have
English sources - whether public
school or Cambridge, or both. In fact,
it grew rs q hybrid--Rugby and Ox-
ford, pcrhaps-something Of both and
not much Of either. with gradual ac-
cretions from what American life
seemed to demand. 1t never was defi-
nitely planned as q coherent part OF
an educational system, but took shape
gradually, more or less fortuitously,
and without a very specific aim. The
college student was doubtless fitted In
general intelligence to begin reading
for one Of the learned professionally
vinity, law, medicine. An increasing
number entered business life with
minds made more acute, with knowl-
edge OF many things which sweetened
life; above all, with experience or men.
Macauiay In discussing the IndiaD
civil service preparation insisted that
the important thing was not what
knowledge the candidate possessed so
much as how he had como out IN
measuring himself with his school,
mates In their common tasks.
All these the colleges have given
and the gift is not small.
But meanwhile other forms OF edu-
cation have developed, and they also
have grown rather by themselves and
without much attempt at coordination
with existing agencies.
Schools Of law and medicine and
divinity have taken form, In some
cases superimposed on the college. in
others parallel in part with the college
course. So-caIled graduate schools
havc Of late appeared. ostensibly In
tended to provide the college graduate
with a specialized training, both In
knowledge Of a particular field and in
the method Of original work. But II
soon appeared that no hard and fast
line divided much OF the graduate
work from considerable part of the
| college work. either in content or In
method Many courses are announced
as FOR college and graduate stu
dents"
ProfessionsI Study Shortened
BY Eclectic Courses
Then at once appeared the OBVIOUS
question OF the amount OF time which
should be devoted to professional
work in a school OF law or medicine
after graduation from the college.
The law curriculum requires we may
say, three years OF study devoted to
specific legal subjects. But the col
Iese student may very properly elect
some such subjects In his senior year.
They furnish an excellent body Of ifb-