Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-02-15
The Shortage of Country Doctors

IENRY S. PRITCHETT. in his sixteenth
l l annual report as president OF the Car
negic Foundation. discusses the problem of
the shortage of country doctors, OF which
there is growing complaint in all the States,
giving reasons for the condition and sug-
Eesting Il practical way to overcome the
scarcity. His views on the subject merit
the thoughtful attention Of the general pub
lie as well as the medical profession.
Calling attention 10 the fact that scenti-
fic medical practice is rooted in the labora-
tory and in the hospital he says that the
training of the medical student today
prompts him to rely more and more upon
the scientific tests of the laboratory, upon
the facilities which good nursing and hos
pital care afford. and upon the REINFORCE
ment Of his personal Judgment by the COM
mon opinion of the members Of group or
clinic. whether large small. Hence this
process has accumulated the tendency, long
noted, which brings growing proportion
OF medical graduates into the cities towns
and fair-szed villages. The old-time coun-
try doctor who practiced medicine over Il
whole county is disappearing, and tho mod
crn trained man finds less to attract him in
the effort to deal with the medical practice
OF wide region on his own resources and
knowledge, without the aids to practice
which the modern laboratory and the mod
crn hospital have taught him to value so
highly.
Practitioners of medicine, in other words,
are deferred today from going into the
country, not only by the meager financial
return and the hard work, but also by rea-
son Of the fact that medicine practiced un-
der such conditions no longer fulfills the
ideals of the medical practitioner. The
result is that the countryside takes a con-
stantly diminishing proportion of medical
men from the schools, and those who come
TO country practice are likely to be amongst
the less alert and less scientific minority.
The operation of the medical tariffs be-
tween the States has worked in the
same direction. The graduates Of the great
medical schools in the cities find it easier
TO enter the practice of medicine In the
States in which they have been educa ed
TO overcome this condition the national
board OF medical examiners is working 10
bring about a situation under which we'll
qualified graduate may pass a single OK
animation admitting to practice in any State.
The problem, he says, can be solved by
reorganizing medical practice in the country
so as to meet modern conditions. This can
be accomplished in some such way as the
ioiipWInS Suy lHoueTatc-SlZeu Town and
the country surrounding it within a radius
OF perhaps ten miles can support small,
but well-conducted. hospital. This hospital
may we'll form the center of activity of the
three or four physicians and surgeons who
can find 4 reasonable living in the practice
OF the town and the area Immediately sur
rounding ii and accessible from H. The
small hospital becomes, under these circum-
stances, the center OF medical service not
only for the town itself hut for the coun-
tryside adjacent, and. what is equally i'm
portant. il gathers to itself small yronp
OF medical practitioners who together can
carry on the diagnosis and treatment of dis
ease under scientific conditions"