TOO MANY DOCTORS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 99, 23 October 1924, Page 3

TOO MANY DOCTORS

A WAR EFFECT

PROBLEM- IN AUSTRALIA,

'.(FEOII ODK OWN CORRESPONDENT.) ' ' SYDNEY, 9th October. • Both Melbourne and Sydney have had to face the problem the past year or two :of too great an output of doctors from their Universities. In Melbourne just now the problem is emphasised by the fact that 64 young men. have just graduated in medicine, and " there are only five hospital positions open for young doctors to go to for the completion of their training. The practice of young doctors completing their training in England is nothing like so general here as it-/ is in New. Zealand ; m fact, it is very exceptional here but some who are able to afford it have *und it the best way of solving the problem. * x ■ ■>^- pi>ominent camber of the British Medical Association, in discussing the matter, said that the surplus of new graduates was an aftermath of the abnormal increase of first-year . students ' .during the war years. He declared that •tne recent graduation included the last of the war influx,' and that in a few years -the position would automatically right itself. Recruits to the profession ' v t Tthen' ** before the war iuso about keep pace with the 'growth of the community and the" loss of practi- . tioners due to death or retirement This year, however,. the position is prac^ tically hard for young graduates. Sixty- : four. left Melbourne .University -fully . qualified educationally, but seekW } 10S - ■" j-pit-al experience before they would be ! fitted for private practice. And only j .five hospital:. vacancies -will- be available jwithm the next six months. U As to the necessity of hospital exI penence, this authority pointed out -that I a doctor with : only class-roohi training would.be quite eligible to start iii prf- aitice for himself, but for the first year, or two he would necessarily be "pVaetising on his patients, in the wron" ' sense; whereas,- if he could obtain S: yeai-js experience as -a-junior resident ;in a public hospital, he would: gaiii practical experience under the supervision of skilled surgeons and physicians. ■ One of -the greatest advantages' of a, public hospital-being in close touch with a university would be that students could obtain nearly all their education 1 m the;wards of the hospital, and thus / graduate with the practical, knowledge which now has io be obtained -after graduation. ; ' Explaining, the great influx of' stu-' d, e. n. ts,"™" t 1916-17-18, "the authority stated that'the first two years of "tlitf war greatly depleted the ranks of local practitioners, who were .commissioned in the Army Medical Corps, in great, numbers, and many were killed in action. By-,1916 the scarcity of doctors1 was such that many- students" were allowed to. graduate before the ' completion of their full course. The shortage attracted increased numbers of student's and in 1917 nearly 600 entered their first year, whereas 50 to 80 ' was the normal number. _ Three years ago the first of the war influx of students.graduated, and main" were unable to find an opening., The older hands predicted disaster for tii» surplus, but owing to the increase of population1 having got ahead of the increase of doctors during the war the position was not sc bad as it at' fit-st' appeared, and most of the 1921 graduates were now'comfortably established Regarding the prospects of this -year's graduates, the authority said-he heliev- - ed they would eventually be absorbed,' although some would have to wait a year or so. .Many would go to othei- - btates for/hospital experience although avenues ■ there . had become • restricted - during the last few-years. A-few who could .afford it, ....would-, spend the' timeof waiting in travelling abroad for post- .' graduate courses.