MEDICAL STUDY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 120, 16 February 1944, Page 8

MEDICAL STUDY

Arguments In Favour Of Limitation

REPLY TO MR. ALGIE (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUINIEIOTN, February 13. Replying to the statement by Mr. R. M IAI-’ie M;P., in Auckland that medical students who had passed the necessary qualifying examinations had been refused admission to the Dunedin Medical school on the ground of insufficiency of accommodation, Mr. 11. Chapman, registrar of Otago University,. says “The position regarding admission ot students to the medical school is as follows: The first year of the medical course may be taken at any °\ the four university colleges, Otago, Auckland, Victoria or Canterbury. At the end of the year students take an intermediate examination, the passing of which qualifies for admission for the second year. For the second and succeeding years the student must come to Otago, but accommodation at the medical school for students in the second and succeeding years is sufficient for 120 students per annum only This fact was announced at the beginning of 1943. and must have been known to all first-year students of medicine in the four, schools. Despite this fact some 275 students embarked on the first year of the course. The number of •. students who actually applied tor admission to the second year of classes at the medical school was 19b, and students were accepted according to the following preferences: (a) Students who had been in their second year in 194 G but who failed to pass the annual examinations but had been recommended by the faculty for readmission, lhe number oi these was 12. (b) Graduates of the University of New Zealand who had passed the necessary qualifying examinations. Nine of these were accepted, (c) students whose course had been seriously interfered with by war service, provided that they had passed the necessary qualifying examinations. Three were accepted under this head, and the cases of three others were reserved for further information as to their war service, (d) Students who had applied at the beginning of 1943, having the necessary qualifications but whom it was then found impossible to admit. The number accepted under this head was three, (e) Students who had passed at the intermediate examination held at the end of 1943 orin any previous year, students being accepted strictly in order of merit. Ninetyone were accepted under this head. “The total number under the above arrangements is 118, and there are three applications still to be considered of students who had passed at an intermediate examination at the end of 1943. Twenty-four had to be declined. Of this number six were from Auckland, one from Victoria College,. and 14 from Otagol Since it was found impossible to accept all the students who had passed at the intermediate examination held at the end of 1943, the University Council has been forced to decline all applications from students who had passed the special examination held in February. 1944. Applications for admission to the school did not close till January 15, and students had been informed that notification of the results of their applications could be expected early in February. Notices to successful students were posted on February 4, and to those unsuccessful on February 5. “Mr. Algie’s protest at the limitation of admission of students to the medical school gives a very distorted and incomplete picture of the problem. He has completely overlooked the main issues involved. This is not only an Auckland, but a Dominion problem. Exemption from war service is granted to medical students for the whole duration of their •course, at least six years. It is evident that this exemption cannot be granted to every student who is desirous of entering medical studies. The number must be based on the urgent requirements of New ZealanJJJlhnd it would be unfair to their comrades in arms to give this long exemption from war service to all who passed the qualifying medical examinations. No case can be made out for giving all a chance. There is no war exemption for those who wish to study arts or law or commerce, etc. It must be agreed that the country can afford to give War exemption only to the number of students urgently required to maintain the medical services of the Dominion. 'The remainder are urgently needed for war services where they can play their part after only a few months’ training

“On what basis then is the entry limited to 120 students a year? Admittedly the large call-up of doctors has caused a grave shortage of medical practitioners in this country. Fortunately this shortage is now at its most acute phase, because recruitment is' being more than compensated by the output from the medical school. It must also be remembered that increasing numbers of second-year students will do nothing to relieve this shortage for at least five years. Meanwhile we,expect the war to be over and returned doctors to have resumed practice. A comprehensive analysis based on the present numbers of medical students chows that the shortage of doctors will then practically have disappeared. Further, if the rate of entry of even 100 a year into the medical school is sustained, a glui in doctors will then rapidly supervene, even on the most generous allowance of medical services to the public. As after the last war. manv returned men will elect to study medicine. Are they to be faced on graduation with a profession already gravely overcrowded by those who spent their war years as medical students? As we agreed above, the prevent level'of medical students has to be kept down to a minimal level, and we now see that thq, present limit of 120 admissions a vear to the medical school errs, if anything. in being tc-o generous. Comparison with the position in other countries supports this conclusion. For example, in Great Britain the limit is set at the prewar rate of entry to the medical school, and in Australia exemption from war service.is granted only to an estimated number of doctors required by the State.”