Evening star., 1944-07-05
President Upho|ds
Ban on Pre-Medical
Student Deferments

President Roosevelt has refused to
review a selective service order
which bans draft. deferment of pre-
medical students beyond July /, the
White House disclosed today as it
made public a letter the President
sent to, Representative Miller, Re-
publican. of Nebraska, who had re-
quested the review.
The Interagency Committee on
Deferments, Mr.. Roosevelt said. had
recommended against further defer
ments, pointing out many of the
premedical students could not be of
service in the practice of medicine
before l948 and that many never
would practice.
The committee. the President
added, also gave thought to the fact
that young men who do not come
up to the exacting standards of the
armed forces, as we'll as young
women. are available to become pre-
medical students
Careful Thought Given Plea.
The text Of the Presidents letter:
II have given careful thought to
your letter Of June 16 in which you
asked that I review the selective
service order which does not permit
the deferment Of premedical stu
dents beyond July /.
mo one is more keenly conscious
than I am Of the need of maintain
ing the health Of the Nation and of
making sure that we have an ade-
quate supply of doctors. But in this
war, the need Of the armed forces
for young, vigorous men. must also
be given thorough consideration
The Army and Navy have presented
that need in urgent terms as essen
tial to the winning Of the war.
THE Interagency Committee on
Deferments, which was formed some
months ago to advise the director
of selective service on deferment of
men under rs, gave careful consider
alton to the case Of premedical STU
dents. The committee included rep
resentatives Of all governmental
agencies interested in manpower. I
am told that this committee recon-
mended that there be no deferment
for premedical students who are not
in medical school by July of this
year.
THE committee. I am advised,
took into account the fact that none
of these premedical students could
be Of service in the practice of medi-
cine prior to 1948 and that many of
them would never practice medicine
The committee also gave attention
to the fact that young men who do
not come up to the exacting physical
standards Of the armed forces, as
well as young women, are available
to become premedical students.
Cites Plans for Veterans.
"As for the future supply Of doc
tors, We must always bear in mind
the ex-servicemen, q considerable
number Of whom will unquestionably
desire to begin the study of medicine.
AS you know, there are many young
men who have served their country
In the armed forces and have al
ready been discharged from further
service. These men, and the far
larger number later to be demobil-
lied, must be given every oppor-
tunity In the way Of education and
training. am told that the medical
colleges are particularly interested
in promoting medical education of
well-qualified ex-servicemen. This
plan by the medical colleges in be-
half of ex-servicemen has my hearty
support
For these reasons, after thorough
consideration, / am unwilling to
overrule the recommendation Of the
Interagency Committee on Defer
ments In regard to premedical
students, or to instruct the director
Of selective service to rescind the
ruling that he made when be