Evening star., 1950-01-19
Medical Education
DR.. Boedorn Dssents From Star Editorial and Views
Aired at Academic Deans Conference
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
I am writing you regarding the editorial
eve Need More Doctors" published in the
January H. 1850, issue of The Evening Star.
This editorial is based on statements re-
portedly made at the American Conference
of Academic Deans held in Cincinnati on
January 9, 1850.
Although the editorial admits that "such
charge may be grossly unfair" it cites
statement which it asserts Lends plausi
bility to the charge" that the medical pro-
fession and the medical schools are pro
tecting" physicians from the competition
OF outsiders" in keeping down the number
of new students" by extraordinary lin1ita-
tions placed upon admissions to our medical
schools wholesale exclusion of potentially
good students" mo matter how eligible
many of them may be-"
The idea is too naive to warrant the char
acterization of grossly unfair"
The Association of American Medical Col
leges' Headquarters Office in Chicago re-
ports that for the year 1948-49 there were
6,514 freshmen enrolled in the medical
schools. The number enrolled in 1949-50 was
6,887 which represents an increase of 373
over the previous year.
It is true that more students apply for ad-
mission to medical schools each year than
are or can be admitted. The process, how
ever, is one of selection and not of "exclu-
sion." The fact is that any one. no matter
how i'll prepared or i'll suited to undertake
the long and difficult study of medicine can
apply. The fact is that thousands of those
who do apply are wholly unqualified.
The careful selection of students for the
practice and study of medicine is one of
the most important functions of the medical
school. Students are selected for admission
on the basis of demonstrated ability to do
creditable work in premedical studies, tested
medical aptitude character, and motivation.
The sole purpose of this careful selection is
to assure, as nearly as possible at the out
set, the training of physicians in whose
hands patients would be willing to place the
health and often the lives of themselves and
their families
Factors Controlling Admissions.
The actual number of students admitted
to the medical schools each year is deter
mined, not by an arbitrary limit set in con-
spiracy by the medical profession and the
medical schools, but by several more funda-
mental If less sensational factors:
1. The capacity of the physical plant of
the individual medical school; lectures and
laboratory work cannot be conducted in the
public parks.
2. The number of qualified teachers avail
able to instruct the students; students can
not teach each other.
3. The number of hospital beds avail
able for clinical instruction; students can
not learn medicine from books alone.
The physical plants and the teaching
staffs of the medical schools are limited by
budgets. Tuition fees cover but a fraction
OF the cost of medical education. At the
present time the Nations medical schools
require additional financial support even to
maintain existing facilities and faculties at
the present standards.
The Nations medical schools at the mo-
ment. are training medical students at the
limit of their capacity. The accelerated pro-
gram in effect during World War II, in the
opinion of most medical educators, lowers
the standard of performance of the medical
schools. -
The number of students admitted to
medical schools could. of course be doubled
overnight if standards regarding selection
of students, adequacy of equipment, avail
ability Of qualified teachers. and sufficiency