LONGER MEDICAL COURSE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 101, 22 January 1921, Page 9

LONGER MEDICAL COURSE

SIX YEARS INSTEAD OF FIVE DECISION OF UNIVERSITY SENATE A proposal to extend the term of the medical course was contained in a< eport macle by the Medical an d De >UI Committee to the New Zealand sity Senate yesterday. The report was as follows: — The committee recommends the medical course for M. 8., B.cn. be extended to six years; that the intermediate examination lie held not later than the first week in December of the first year of study, 1110 professional in December cl the thna vear of study, the second professional "in December of the fourth year; the final examination to be held in two sections in the December ot the fitth and sixth years of study. Many universities, said Dr. Ferguson, who moved the adoption of the report, were making the change proposed and New Zealand could not lag behind. Tie looked forward to the eventual institution of a. course extending over more than six rears. (Tho present course occupies fiwM years.)’ . , . The Hon. J. A. Hanan said that to lengthen the course would probably make matters more difficult for students < moderate means. He was therefore opposed to the suggested l alteration. It would mean that the supply of doctor, would decrease, and more doctors vers required. At present Otago was producing' doctors of a high, degree of efliciency. Mr. H. F. von Haast did not see how, in" face of the generally expressed opinion that a six-years’ course was necessary to make an efficient doctor, the senate’could refuse io extend the course. He hoped that Parliament would not interfere, and upon the pretext that tle course was too long, create all sorts of loopholes for those, who did not qualify. Professor T. A. Hunter and Dr. Anderson both spoke against prolonging the course. The former suggested that something might be done to secure a higher standard of qualification in students at the time of commencing .he medical course. If steps were taken tit this direction, he thought that the students would be equal to completing their course in five years. Mr. F. A. do-la Mare said he would ho guided by expert opinion, on the subject. If experts said that tho course could not satisfactorily lie gone through in five years, then there would be reason to suspect that students who got through in five years were doing so at the expense of "the cultural side of their education. The community expected that doctors fchould he entitled to respect not solely as’ medical mon, but as men possessing a certain degree of culture. The Chancellor (Sir Robert Stout) said that he would vote for the adoption of the report. . . Tho senate agreed to the committee s recommendation.