MEDICAL SCHOOL

Evening Star, Issue 20721, 18 February 1931, Page 2

MEDICAL SCHOOL

DEAN’S REPORT FOR YEAR The Dean of tho Medical Faculty (Sir Lindo Ferguson) reported to the University Council yesterday on the work of the Medical School for 1930 as follows• “ The number of students in the school is being maintained, and the forecast made in my last year’s report as to probable increase seems likely to be fulfilled, as the number of students entering was fifty-two, as against fortyfour for 1929, and the number of graduates was twenty-nine, leaving a net increase in the number of undergraduates of thirteen. The number of graduates is less than the previous year, but as 1 reported twelve mouths ago the graduating class this year is one of the small ones, and the same state of affairs will apply next year. We again have had grounds for satisfaction in the result of the final examination just held, as out of a class of thirty the- large, proportion of twenty-six completed their examination successfully, and none of the others failed in more than one subject. “ During the year the pathological museum has been brought into such a condition that it is possible to make use of tho greater part of tho large collection of material which was accumulated by Dr Drennan. This is now displayed in such a manner that it can bo made effectual use of for teaching purposes, and the students have availed themselves to a very considerable extent of the opportunities for study which tho museum now affords.

“ During the year Dr Fogg returned from post-graduate studies iu America which had been rendered possible for him by the courtesy of the Rockefeller Trustees. The advantages conferred on schools throughout the world by the Rockefeller fellowships are very great, and the generosity of the trustees in affording assistance in this way to our teaching staff is one that we cannot acknowledge too gratefully. _ Dr Fogg found his experience in America of very groat value, and the school will benefit by the insight he has obtained into tho teaching methods and work carried on in the American centres. Dr Gowland has returned after fifteen months’ travel, in which he visited most of the schools in Europe and America. He had a very strenuous time,_ but has brought back a rich store of observations from which we hope to benefit. Dr Batchelor has also returned from a trip to Britain, in the course of which he saw a good deal of the surgical teaching in London. Ho has now resumed his place on the hospital staff and in the clinical teaching of the school. “In the early part of the year Dr Colquhoun, the emeritus professor of medicine, paid a visit to Ivew Zealand and delivered tho inaugural address to the class at the opening of the session in March. He presented tho women students with a large-size photograph of the statue erected to the memory of Dr Margaret Cruickshanks at Waimate to be hung in their common room in memory of one whoso example of duty well performed should act as an inspiration to all those who come after her. The furnishing of tho women’s common room, which was so necessary, lias been n distinct boon to the women students, but the furnishing is still on a somewhat meagre scale, and there is room for further expenditure in this direction.

“ During the year Dr Begg arrived from England to take up cancer research work here on behalf of the cancer campaign organisation. Accommodation has been found for him in one of the laboratories in the physiology department, and there is every probability of his work being carried on there with advantage both to tho research on which ho is engaged and to the school. CHAIR OF OBSTETRICS.

“ The most important event during the past year so far as the school has been concerned is the wonderful response to the effort of the Obstetrical Society to raise funds for the endowment of the chair of obstetrics and gynaecology. Owing to the enthusiasm of Dr Doris Gordon and the officers of the Obstetrical Society, aided by enthusiastic committees of woraenin the different centres, the £25,000 which was aimed at in the first instance was oversubscribed b> somewhere about another £6,000. The £25,000 for the endowment of the chair was handed over to the chancellor in Wellington in the middle of the year, and £IO,OOO of Government subsidy has been received on account of it. The subsidy on the balance is expected to be received within the nex't couple of years, but no definite date has so far been mentioned by the Government as to when the payment will be made. The conditions of appointment to the chair have been advertised, and applications from prospective candidates for the position should bo in by the end of January. The surplus subscriptions raised are to be devoted to the furtherance of education in the special departments of obstetrics and gynaecology, and in the meantime will be allocated to the foundation of two travelling scholarships, details of which will appear in the calendar for 1931.

“ The development of the obstetrical department winch is confidently looked forward to as a result of the endow ment of the chair hinges very considerably on the replacement of the two pro sent inadequate maternity hospitals by a new combined institution. More than twelve months ago tbo Government provided £IO,OOO fer the purchase of a site and undertook to erect a new hospital at a cost of up to £40,000, making £50,000 in nil. Negotiations had been under way for a considerable time between the Health Department and the Hospital Board with the object of the control of tbo St. Helen’s Hospital being taken over by the department from tlie board. These negotiations finally came to a, satisfactory conclusion, and the question of the site of the now hospital was referred to the Conned of the University and the Hospital Board. These bodies disapproved of the site which was recommended by the faculty and the hospital staff, and selected a site in London street for the erection of the new building.

ACCOMMODATION FOR LIBRARY. “ Another sum has come to the hands of tho University in the shape of a befinest from tho late Mr Robert Hay for library purposes to enable us to obtain such books as ire should not otherwise* bo able to procure. Tho Government subsidy of 00(3 on this amount is in the meantime being hold in abeyance, but we aro very badly in need of extra expenditure in the library, and trust that tho Minister will soon see his way to meet this obligation of the department. The remarks which I rondo last year with regard to tho necessity for adequate storage for our growing library might bo repeated this year. Tho position is becoming more acute, and will continue to do so until adequate accommodation is provided. “ The library is again indebted to Dr James Young, late of Invercargill, for further valuable gifts of books and journals during the year. Were it not for the of individual members of the profession our library won A be in a much worse position than it is. FELLOWSHIP EXAMINATIONS.

" A matter of considerable interest to the school arose during the course of

the year in the move that was made at the instigation of the College of Surgeons of Australasia to arrange for a primary fellowship examination of the College of Surgeons of England to be held in Australia. So far as our stucienrs are concerned it would be of very great advantage to them if they were able to sit the primary fellowship examination shortly after the completion of their courses in anatomy and physiology here. A very large proportion of our .graduates go Home to England with cho object of taking a higher degree, usually in surgery, and the primary fellowship examination has always been a stumbling block owing to the fact that it required a good many months’ work in anatomy and physiology to bring them back again to examination standaid The College of Surgeons of Australasia carried out negotiations with the English College on the basis of sharing equally the cost involved in sending examiners out from Horne, and at one period it seemed aa if it would be possible to arrange for the examiners who were coming out to Melbourne to take Dunedin en route. It is now definitely decided that, though the examiners will visit New Zealand, uo examination will be hold here this l vear, but there is a reasonable hope that if the visit to Australia is repeated at a later date it may bo possible to arrange for an examination to be held in New Zealand. This primary examination would not in any way interfere with the course for the New Zealand University degree, but would facilitate the obtaining of the fellowship of the college in London later on by those of our students who took the first hu r dle here “ We have once more provided one ot the successful candidates for a Rhodes scholarship in the shape of Mr Lovelock, who we shall bo sorry to miss here, but to whom w© wish every success m his career in Oxford. The Lady Truby King scholar for the year was Miss Dougall. The travelling scholar was Mr Edson. and the first Obstetrical Societv’s travelling scholarship has been awarded to Ur Pacey. A SETBACK.

" Tho school has received a very serious setback this year in the stoppage of a grant of £GOO which tho Government had made year after year for the last fifteen years for report work done on behalf of the Public Health Department. In the effort to retrench this grant was suddenly withdrawn in the middle of tho year, and as the budget of expenditure had been compiled on the assumption that the worli which was being done would bo paid for as usual the finances of tho school have been seriously upset. With every desire to economise and to n.void_ all unnecessary expenditure, there is no doubt that the school budget is on too small a scale and that the growing needs of various departments are not being adequately met. In spite of this, owing t) tho energy and devotion of our teaching staff, a very high level of efficiency has been maintained in the school, and wo owe a verv considerable debt to those teachers who have been carrying the main burden on their shoulders.”