MEDICAL STUDENTS

Grey River Argus, 26 February 1943, Page 1

MEDICAL STUDENTS

MORE ENTRANTS LIKELY.

DUNEDIN, February 23.

After a meeting with the sub-com-mittee of the Otago University Council which was appointed to consideithe number of students to be admitted' to the' Medical School, the Minister of Education (Mr. Mason) and the Minister of Health tMr. Nordmeyer) to-day issued a joint statement. Their visit, the Ministers said, had been occasioned by public protests which followed the announcement of the restriction of the number of entrants to the Medical School to 100.

“It is true that the Director-Gener-al of Health some years ago estimated that 70 graduates would be sufficient to satisfy the normal requirements of the Dominion,” the Ministers said. “It is obvious, however, that whatever justification there might be in normal circumstances for restricting the number of admissions to the Medical School on that basis, such restrictions could not be justified at the present time. “The view of the Government is that, notwithstanding the return to practice of those doctors who are now serving with the Armed Forces, there will be a serious shortage of medical men in the post-war period. Accordingly at this stage ever/ effort. should be made to increase the flow of students into the Medical School in order that the deficiency mav be met as soon as possible by New Zealand graduates- rather than by the entry of doctors' from overseas. ~ “The 1 meeting, with the staff or the Medical School and with the subcommittee of the council has been very fruitful. It is likely as a lesujthat the council will agree to increase the number of entrants this year to- 120.” It appeared, the Minister said, that this was the utmost limit to which existing staff accommodation and facilities could b e taxed. The effect of the extension would be the admission this year of all who had passed the medical intermediate examination in 1942 with 11 exceptions “The whole question of the future training of medical students,’ the Ministers concluded, “will be thoroughly investigated at an early date so that adequate steps can be taken to deal with a possible increase in future.” ~, TTni At a special meeting of the university Council in the afternoon the matter was fully discussed and it was decided, in view of an assurance or assistance given by the Ml ™st e r. t accept the whole number of qualified applicants, including those who passed in the February special examma tion with the exception of those who failed to lodge their applications by

the prescribed date and five students who were otherwise, for various reasons, ineligible.