SURPLUS DOCTORS

Taranaki Daily News, 31 March 1934, Page 10

SURPLUS DOCTORS

DOMINION’S

OTAGO UNIVERSITY’S AIM.

“The aim of the authorities of the Medical School is to provide a steady stream of young ductors for the Dominion,” said Sir Lindo Ferguson, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Otago, in an interview in Christchurch last week. He was questioned regarding a recent statement that there was a considerable increase in the number of students entering upon the medical course this’year. «■ Sir Lindo said that if too many doctors graduated they would not be able to find vacancies, and next year there was rio doubt the number of students going to the school would have id be limited. Already in the Dominion there was one medical man to every 1000 of trie population, and lie tliought that only in America was the percentage larger. The number in the profession was certainly greater in proportion to the population than in any other part of. the Empire.. The intermediate examination which was taken at the end of the first year would have to be made competitive arid only so many students allowed to continue. Just after the war there had been huge classes, and it was impossible to find house surgeon’s positions for all who passed, so that the nurnbers dropped suddenly. “What we . want,” said Sir. Lindo, “is to have ’ a steady supply of 50 to 55 students entering the school each year.’’ That number could be handled properly and given a good training, but if there was a much larger number the students could not be given a first-class training in all the details. :■ ;• - • At presept in Dunedin there were 85 students entering on: the intermediate, or first,- year, but they did not knowhow many there were in the other centres. If, however, next year 100 passed the. intermediate examination, the medical school would be able to take Ohly 50 or 60. If it was thought that hrge could be trained that would be unfortunate,. because. a glut was followed by a famine, apd the object of the school was to give a steady supply. If students were weeded out at the intermediate stage, they would suffer no Hardship. It simply meant that. they had had a year’s teaching in chemistry, physics and biology, which was good training for thefn. If .a studerit showed po aptitude for scieptific work and was weeded out, he lost only a year. Sir Louis Barnett, emeritus professor of surgery at the University of Otago,; said that the Medical School aimed at supplying the requirements of New Zealand, and if too many students were allowed to take the medical course, positions would not be available for them in th? Dominion. Also, the laboratory accommodation at the school was limited. . The Dominion could accommodate only a certain number of new medical practitioners each year, and it would be absurd to argue that the accommodation should be increased. . It was therefore necessary that a strict weeding out should be enforced in the school. The best students would have to be selected and rhe others rejected. Nothing else was possible.