MORE STUDENTS THIS YEAR

Southland Times, Issue 24986, 24 February 1943, Page 4

MORE STUDENTS THIS YEAR

OTAGO MEDICAL SCHOOL (P.A.) DUNEDIN, February 23. . After a meeting with a sub-commit-tee of the Otago University Council, which was appointed to consider the number of students to be admitted to the Medical School, the Minister of Education, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, and the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, today issued a joint statement. Their visit, the Ministers explained, had been occasioned by public protests which followed the announcement of a restriction in the number of entrants to the Medical School to 100. “It is true that the Director-General of Health some years ago estimated that 70 graduates would be sufficient to satisfy the normal requirements of the Dominion,” the Minister stated. It was 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, it was stated, was that notwithstanding the return to practice of those doctors who were now serving with the armed forces, there would be a serious shortage of medical men in the post-war period. Accordingly, at this stage every effort should be made to increase the flow of students into the Medical School in order that the deficiency could be met as soon as possible by New Zealand graduates rather than by the entry of doctors from overseas. “The meeting with the staff of the Medical School and with the sub-com-mittee of the council has been very fruitful,” the Ministers said. “It is likely that as a result the council will agree to increase the number of entrants this year to 120.” It appeared, they said, that this was the utmost limit to which the existing staff accommodation and facilities could be 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 Minister concluded, “will be thoroughly investigated at an early date so that adequate steps can be taken to deal with a possible increase in the future.” At a special meeting of the University Council in the afternoon the matter was fully discussed and it was decided, in view of the assurance of assistance given by the Ministers, to accept the whole number of qualified applicants, including those who passed in the February special examination, 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.