Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-09
Doctors Hit
Revision Of
License Code
Medical Society
Members Prefer
Present Setup

ETOpOIleIJo VI lCBloldLlOIl 70
change the entire system of Ii
censing doctors in the District
met with "very definite oppo-
sition" last night.
The opposition came from
unidentified members of the
District Medical Society's Com
mittee on Public Policy-meet-
ing behind closed doors in the
society's building.
United States Attorney oliver
Gasch. who made public the
proposed legislation Saturday,
said many of the doctors pres
ent" saw no reason for chang
ing the present setup.
One doctor argued. according
to Mr.. Gasch, that:
Lawyers certainly would not
be satisfied with having their
profession policed by another
profession"
Joining the opposition was
Chief Judge Leo A. Rover of
the Municipal Court. He said:
II oppose the change in the
present act because the board
tof licensure) has been doing a
good job for 80 years and !
know it will continue to do so. ]"
Karrick NOncOmmittal
District Commissioner David
B. Karrick, the only Commits
sioner reported present, said
after the meeting, II am not
familiar with this legislation
and came here only as an OBJ
server" He would not COM
ment further.
DR.. William H. Cooper, chair
man Of the Public Policy Com
mittee. would not comment on
the meeting but to say the
committee would convene later
this month" to act on the pro-
poSal.
Mr.. Gasch indicated he ex-
Ipected very definite OPPOSE
ton" on the major goals of the
legislation.
The proposed bill, Mr.. Gasch
explained. would give added
protection to the public from
doctors whose licenses should
be speedily revoked or sus-
pended.
1t would also get the doctors
to police their own profession,
Mr.. Gasch said, and insisted.
THE new legislation would be
helpful in bringing this about. "
Two Years for Draft
The draft of the legislation.
which has been approved by
the present Commission on LIZ
censure to Practice the Healing
Arts in the District, has been in
preparation for more than two
years.
Among its provisions is one
for establishing a more positive
way of determining whether
foreign doctors should be
granted licenses here.
Mr.. Gasch, in disclosing the
proposed legislation, said at
present it takes from two to
five years to get a doctors IL
cense revoked. In the meantime,
he can keep on practicing.
The commission has no way
of evaluating the foreign
schools from which some doc
tors seeking licenses here have
been graduated Mr.. Gasch said.
Serving on the present licens-
ing commission are the presi-
dent of the Board of Commits
sioners. the United States Com
missioner of Education. the
United States Attorney. the
District health director and the
District superintendent of
schools.
Only one member of the
Commission on Licensure-the
director of public health-need
be a medical doctor. The 9th
ers, it was explained, serve be-
cause of the jobs they hold, not
because of any medical quail
ficationS.
The proposed Legislation
would create a board consist
ing of the health director, ex-
ofhcio: four physicians recon-
mended by the District Medical
Society and a uon-physician m
tereSted in health problems. All
would be appointed by the
Commissioners.
The board-rather than the
cnllrtS-wollld have the power