SURGEONS' STUDY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 59, 7 September 1931, Page 8

SURGEONS' STUDY

THE ROYAL COLLECtE

EXAMINERS' VISIT

"GESTURE OF GOODWILL" ■'■ '*■■-' '■ ■■•'■ .",'.'. .•-•• •.•

•/The opinion 'that the. arrangements iii ; Australia for the teaching ,ot anatomy ■ and physiology were - equal ■tc those in England was expressed by Professor G. Bdckmaster, who arrived, by the Monowai to-day from Sydney, in company with Professor W. Wright, a distinguished anatomist.

• Professor Wright and 'Professor Buckmaster have been in Australia con. ducting primary examinations—the former in anatomy and the latter in physiology. Professor Wright is Professor .of Anatomy in the London Hospital Medical School,; and Professor Buckmaster is Professor of Physiology at Bristol. They are both examiners for the Royal College of Surgeons, London, and are'at present on a tour conducting primary examinations.

The Boyal College of Surgeons, England, has two. examinations for its fellowship; a primary, in anatomy and physiology, and a second examination in surgery and surgical pathology. These examinations aro of a very high standard, and till recently the primary examinations have been held only in London. A few years agr, primary examinations were, held in. Can. da^ and this year the examinations were held in Australia, for the first time. Twenty candidates, including New Zealand representatives, sat, and ten passed. , Interviewed by a "tost" reporter, Professor Buckmasterswd that as he and Professor Wright-were examiners for the Royal College of Surgeons, London, they were well, able to form an opinion as to the standard-.-of the primary examinations held in Australia. The Melbourne test was neither easier nor harder,: but was identical, as far as. possible, with the' London examination. Tho final examination.was always held in London. "It is the outstanding surgical examination throughout the world,'?-he said, "and anyone who wishes to be considered in the highest levels of surgery takes it." The candidates were representative of all nationalities—including Chinese and Japanese—and even some women had been successful. . . AN EXPERIMENT. Professor Buckmasier said that he and Professor Wright came to Australia as the result of an invitation to conduct primary . examinations, and their visit was a gesture, of goodwill on both sides. The visit was experimental, and in addition, they were able to see of the teaching. In Australia, they found that the arrangement of' things differed from that'in England, as in.Australia there was not the liaison, between, the anatomical and physiological schools and the hospitals as there was in England, where the attitude was adopted that; anatomy and physiology should bear close relationship to practical work.. . HIGH BTANDABD. Commenting upon the Melbourne examination, Professor Wright said that the standard shown by the candidates was high, and that reflected very good teaching; In each subject there was a three-hour paper, and an oral examination for twenty minutes. . Although this was the first time the examination had been held in Australia, his personal impression was that there would be another examination in three years' time, arid on that occasion it was-very likely that examinations would be held in Melbourne and in Dunedin. If there was another.examination in thw years' time, it was. agreed that it would only be fair that an examination should be held in Dunedin also. \ The result of the examinations being held overseas, he said, would tend towards a higher and uniform standard of professional skill throughout the Empire. Speaking of recent developments in surgery, Professor Wright said that there had been a great advance, particularly in the use of local, anaesthetics. He had seen.a serious operation performed inside the skull, and only a local anaesthetic had been used. The use' of a local anaesthetic minimised shock, and, in addition, if the patient was elderly, there was not the trouble of a respiratory nature. ' . Kef erring to medical matters generally at Home, he said that there was a big influx of. students to medicine after tho war. Numbers of ex-servicemen werd given service awards, and they used them for their education. The influx lasted till about 1923, but after that there was a rather rapid decline, and the position had then evened. Both professors are to visit Dunedin, and they will leave Auckland on 22nd September for Vancouver. They are to conduct primary examinations in Toronto, this being the third occasion upon which such examinations have been held in. Canada. ,