TRAINING OF SURGEONS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21423, 15 March 1935, Page 6

TRAINING OF SURGEONS

PROVISION MADE FOR APPRENTICESHIP RESEARCH INTO CANCER AND HYDATIDS RETURN OF SIR LOUIS BABNETT FROM MELBOURNE An important development of medical education, involving the provision of facilities in New Zealand and Australia for the post-graduate training of surgeons, was discussed in an interview yesterday by Sir Louis Barnett, of Dunedin, vice-president, and chairman of the New Zealand section, of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Sir Louis has returned from the annual congress of the college, in Melbourne, at which the training of surgeons was one of the subjects for discussion. Other important subjects were recent advances in cancer research and the incidence of hydatids, the latter complaint being one which is now causing serious concern among medical authorities.

Sir Louis said that the congress was an important milestone in the progress of the college, as it was marked by the opening of the new college buildings on a site in the heart of Melbourne. This building would be the headquarters of the college. The present structure was only a unit of the complete building, which would contain offices, a library, a museoum, research laboratories, and lecture rooms. The congress had beer 1 attended by notable medical men from England ond America, and was regarded as the most successful and instructive yet held by the college. lii New Zealand "Consideration was given by the congress to the education of surgeons, especially after graduation," said Sir Louis. "The College of Surgeons realises that an apprenticeship of some years is necessary to lit a man for the responsibility of modern surgical practice. Provision is now being made for such apprenticeship by the institution of the Prince Henry Hospital, which will contain at least'3oo beds, and which will be devoted entirely to the post-graduate education of surgeons. It will be staffed on the surgical side largely by the College of Surgeons. Bursaries and scholarships will be provided to enable worthy students to carry out the course of training deemed desirable. "The English College of Surgeons has recently passed a resolution insisting on a period of surgical apprenticeship after graduation before a candidate can sit for his final examination for a fellowship," said Sir Louis. "The apprenticeship must be served at an approved hospital which has a visiting staff. The public hospitals in the four main centres in New Zealand have already been recognised as approved for this purpose. There are no other hospitals in the Dominion at present w T hich have a sufficient number of beds, which must be at least 100. The Hamilton Hospital has 100 beds, but it has not a visiting staff. Treatment of Cancer "The relative merits of radiation and operation in the treatment of cancer were discussed at the congress," said Sir Louis, and various reports of recent investigations were submitted. The reports will be the subject of further analysis. One may say generally that although operation, in the present state of our knowledge, is undoubtedly advisable for many cancers that are seen in the early stages, radiation is now regarded as being more effective in that large class of cases which come to the surgeon when the disease has already secured a deep hold. Results were shown in certain of these cases where remarkable, and sometimes dramatic, benefit had been effected by radiation treatment in cases which a few years ago would have been considered suitable only for operation, and that without much hope of success. "At Melbourne the radium department is being developed very extensively, and, in my opinion, they are able to show by the technique used that they are in advance of any other centres in Australia or New Zealand," Sir Louis added. Hydatids "It is increasingly recognised that a more intensive campaign must be undertaken to cheqk the incidence of hydatids and to find methods of dealing with the cases which occur," said Sir Louis. "Hydatids is very prevalent in Australia and New Zealand, more so than in any part of the world, except the South American republics. Important papers were given at. the congress on this disease, and it will be made a special feature at succeeding congresses. "Judging by the hospital returns, hydatids is increasing in incidence in Canterbury." said Sir Louis. "A hydatid research and prevention laboratory v/as established recently at the Otago University Medical School, and a hydatid registry is now collecting information about the disease from all over New Zealand." Sir Louis said that the surgeons from overseas who attended the Melbourne congress had the greatest admiration for the standard .of medical education in Australia, for the extent and progress of the researches which were being conducted, and for the work of the congress itself. It was becoming more and more realised that the surgical teaching and opportunities in Australia were of a very high order. Mere and more New Zealanders will find it worth while to pay periodical visits to Australia. It was not likely that there would be a separate college of surgeons in New Zealand for many years; but there were more than 100 New Zealand members of the Australasian college out of a total membership of about 600.