A CROWDED PROFESSION.

Northern Advocate, 19 April 1923, Page 6

A CROWDED PROFESSION.

Pi L'.LIC BODi.liS AND \\ OME.T DOCTORS The gloomy vaticinations (says the "Medical World") of those who see an unpleasant overcrowding of the profession in two, or at most, three years' time seem to have attracted tho attention of the public in an unusual degree. Many newspapers have reproduced the statistical tables and calculations from the professional journals, which go to prove there will be very soon one registered practitioner to every thousand of the general population if, indeed, we have not reached that point already. It is unfortunate that the decrease in the number of new students did not commence in timo to affect the number of ttfose who are already getting qualified and registered, as it may take the best part of the surplus by the usual eliminative processes, and, in the meanwhile, there is likely to be an exceedingly h;ird .time for those faced with tho problem of making a livelihood under the keenest competition. It is probable, too, that some of the licensed corporations may sharo eventually in the leanness of the times, for, amid a glut of candidates, public bodies are certain to restrict their favours to those who hold the qualifications whiich carry the greatest appeal ito the lay comprehension. The situation can but have a very adverse influence on tho prospects of medical women; there are far too many of them at present, and since no friendly warnings availed to check the recent inexplicable crowding of the sex into the profession, they are likely to suffer far more than the medical mau in the struggle for existence. For a section of" the .public and especially some corporations, still decline obstinately to accept the existence of the medical woman as anything but an impertinence, and it is probable that when in competition with the male surplus she may bo ousted even from iher 'recently qomqiiered school clinic and welfare domain.