THE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL COURSE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25736, 6 January 1945, Page 6

THE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL COURSE

Sir,— Through the courtesy of your column! I presume to advise parents who contemplate starting a son or daughter on the university- medical course. During the past year, 1944, some 300 students sat all or part of the first-year course. Of these, about 155 passed all, or completed, the four subjects. There is accommodation for 120 in the secondyear classes. Of the 155 who passed the first-year examinations about o dozen have rendered service in the army and have preference over the rest. Of the remainder, only about 65 will' be ad-, mltted to .the second-year classes! The reasons , are: (1) - That. 20, usecond-j year students in 1944 ; failed td qualify for the third' year; (2) ten more places are . reserved for servicemen who Have failed but are to have another chance, to pass; and (3) about 20 students who. have already some other degree—e.gg. B.A. or B-. Sc—have a preference before ordinary students who • are just commencing ' their careers. . f '' I make this statement without rancour as my personal experience has been fortu-’ nate, but many parents make great sacrifices—as I have done—to enable a mem-,-bef of the family to become a doctor,' Many students this year have been' dis-' appointed when, on achieving a pass up to an average of 65 per cent, per subject, they, have been cut out by the, growing list of' priorities. , J The position seems unavoidable, and my advice is to give the boy another year at high school so that he may be well coached In the (subjects he would have been taking at the University' to the end that he may be well fitted then to reach the high marks required for a satisfactory -pass in the list in the following year.—l am, etc., James.