BURSARIES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16396, 16 December 1918, Page 7

BURSARIES.

MEDICAL AND DENTAL

DETAILS OF GOVERNMENT

SCHEME

Speaking to a "Press" reporter last flight tho Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister of Public Health, said that Cabinet had approved of the giving of eight medical bursaries at Otago University for the corning year. As in previous years the bursars would Ixj required to enter into an agreement that on graduation they would accept an appointment for two years as assistant house surgeons in public hospitals, or in a Stato Department, from tho bursary granted to them. The Minister added that a new departure was also being made by granting ten bursaries in the dental school. In past years efforts had been made to induce liospua, .Boards to establish dental service ior school'children, and the difficulty had been tfte want of dentist*.. Cabinet's ten bursaries would be lor a sum of £'o0 (sacii, which would be available ior the iirst year of the selected studont at the school, Bursaries would not be granted to residents of Dunedin, as it was considered that the bursaiy should be for the assistance of youths from a distance, and though it would not cover tho entire cost it would pay ail tho fees, and a substantial portion of tho student's maintenance expenses. If the student's record was satisfactory it was intended to continue the butsaiy during the subsequent three years of his attendance at the school. Every succeeding year another ten would be appointed, and at the close of four years thore would be a steady stream of trained dentists of ten. per year available for Stato work. One condition would be that for each year the'student received tho bursary he was required to serve the Stato or approved Hospital Board at a fixed salary of £250 and expenses for the first two years, and £300 and expenses for the last two years. Under this scheme it was honed in the course of a few years that tno dental diseases of tho country would be overtakon, and one of tho primary causes of unfitness removed.

One clause\of the Public Heaitji Act dhabled any local body to grant assistance, not only to organisations and societies, such as the Plunket Society, but also to nssist by providing bursaries at any college affiliated to tho New Zealand University for students in medical and dental science. Mr Russell hopod that the effect would bs that students would go from outside districts to Dunedin under agreement with the contributing bodies to work in their districts after they had graduated.