Evening star., 1946-10-05
Physician Veterans
To Quiz Gen. Bradley
On Text Book Policy

Qualification of the Veterans Ad-
ministration policy on the issuance
OF text books and medical instru-
ments to resident physicians train
ing as specialists, a representative
of the District Physician Veterans
of World War II will seek person.
al interview with Gen. Bradley next
week.
The decision was reached after a
conference yesterday between Or,
John r. Cavanagh, chairman of the
Committee on Veterans Admins
tration Relations of the local doc
tors group, spokesmen for approxi-
mately 100 local resident physicians
recently discharged from the service,
and two representatives of the Dis
abled American Veterans.
DR.. Cavanaugh said his organiza-
ton feels the veteran physicians are
entitled to receive Government aid
in obtaining the tools of the trade.
since those they possessed before
entering the service were, in many
cases, worn out, obsolete, or lost In
service.
Want Policy Statement.
He pointed out, however, that the
immediate interest of the group was
simply to obtain a definite state
ment of Veterans Administration
policy. He related q series Of un-
successful efforts to get aid from
the agency's regional office. 4
Questioned in August on the in
terpretatiop of Q law, which PER-
mitss hospitals to apply for funds Il
cover costs of tuition and equipment
for resident physicians and gives
medical students the same status AZ
other college students, J. M. Mac
Cannon, chief of the Vocational
and Rehabilitation Section Of the
Washington regional ONCE, de-
clared:
"It was not the intention Of Law
to provide the trainee with basic
needs of a doctor In practice. These
residents are not in training to be-
come doctors. They are doctors IN
training to become specialists"
DR.. Cayanaugh reported having
had a telephone conversation In Au-
gust with Glenn Faxon, chief of the
Vocational and Rehabilitation Sec
ton of the national Office, in which
he quoted Mr.. Faxon as having
given a similar Interpretation Of the
law. He added that, although he had
made two requests for written con-
firmation OF the position Mr.. Faxon
expressed, he had not received .
reply.
Forced to Defray Cost.
A doctor who said he represented
18 veteran physician residents at
Childrens Hospital said that insti-
tuition had received approval from
G. r. Naumowicz, manager Of the
local Veterans Administration re-
gional Office, on April 10 of an apph-
cation for vocational training aid
under Public Law l6.
Acting on the assumption that
such aid would be received from the
agent, the hospital ordered num-
Der of text books and distributed
them among its resident physicians,
the doctor said. Subsequent indi-
cation that no Federal funds will
be provided to pay for these books
threatens to force the physicians to
defray the cost themselves out of
their subsistence allowance, which
has a 500 monthly ceiling, he de-
clared.
The Cnildren's Hospital spokes-
man and a representative Of Gal
linger Hospital veteran doctors de-
MED the provision Of text books in
medical libraries was sufiicient to
enable student physicians to carry
out their duties properly or to derive
full benefit from their training.
DR.. G. r. Strickland, medical ad-
wiser Of the DAV and former spro-
fessor Of medicine, said he shared
this view.
Quintus e. Camp, assistant ma
tional director for claims of the
DAV, said he would try to arrange
an interview with Gen. Bradley next
week for DR.. Cavanaugh, DR.. Strick-
land and fimself