732 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVI. No. 935 



Foundation on Medical Education, namely 

 upon the possession or lack of a two years' 

 college entrance requirement, we find that 

 of the schools permitting undergraduate 

 research five fail the test: 



1. Albany Medical College. 



2. University and Bellevue Hospital and 



Medical College. 



3. "University of Cincinnati. 



4. Tulane University. 



5. University of Virginia. 



If we examine the other side we find not 

 a single school meeting the Carnegie re- 

 quirement. Some of the schools giving 

 negative replies make it clear in their let- 

 ters that they do not indulge in the policy 

 of furthering the research spirit because 

 of the need of the country for "practical 

 men" or "capable family doctors." It is 

 difficult to conceive however of a really 

 "capable family doctor" who can not think 

 scientifically, or of a "practical man" 

 without practical facility in the scientific 

 investigation of his cases. 



Question Two 

 Do you allow such men any immunity from work 

 in their regular courses? 



We find only one school, Tulane Univer- 

 sity, going to the extreme indicated by the 

 question. Their attitude is best explained 

 by extracts from the letter of Dr. Isadore 

 Dyer, the dean. 



Answers to questions one and two: 



1. Undergraduates in their last three years are 

 encouraged to do original research in conjunction 

 with their regular medical work. As yet there has 

 been no systematization of this kind of work in the 

 Tulane Medical Department and, so far, the men 

 undertaking such work have been compelled to 

 forego a part of their regular curriculum. 



2. In the fourth year men are assigned to the 

 laboratories of pathology and clinical medicine as 

 assistants and, in such capacity, are not only per- 

 mitted but are encouraged to do original work. 

 In their capacity as assistants they are excused 

 from other work which might interfere with such 

 function. 



One can not help feeling that a similar 

 condition exists in other schools, but 

 brought about in a different manner. Sup- 

 pose a medical course contains a certain 

 number of elective hours — elective in the 

 sense that they may be filled by extra rou- 

 tine work in the various subjects of the 

 course or by research. Men must com- 

 plete a certain number of hours or units to 

 graduate. They are given no "immunity 

 from work in their regular courses," but 

 they do not need it, since they can make a 

 successful research a factor in getting the 

 degree, quite as well as the passing of an 

 examination in some required subject. 



The question, therefore, takes a broader 

 basis and becomes: "What schools make 

 undergraduate research possible by a con- 

 cession of hours in the regular roster? 

 Nine schools answer such a question affirm- 

 atively. They are: 



1. University of California. This school 

 announces that 



the more proficient students are encouraged to do 

 advanced work in the line of original research, 

 particularly in anatomy, physiology, pathology and 

 experimental surgery. (Letter of Dr. A. A. D'An- 

 cona.) 



The catalogue shows a roster of sufficient 

 elasticity to allow successful work. 



2. Harvard University. No free hours 

 are given until the fourth year, when the 

 following arrangement is made. 



The electives of the fourth year are given as 

 half-courses and quarter-courses. A half-course 

 occupies the entire day for one month (the all- 

 day plan) or the forenoons or the afternoons for 

 two months (the half -day plan). Each half -course 

 has a value of one hundred and twenty-five hours. 

 Quarter-courses occupy half the day for one month. 

 Two quarter-courses equal a half-course. Eight 

 half-courses are necessary to satisfy the require- 

 ments of one thousand hours of work demanded in 

 the fourth year. 



Students wishing to specialize in any particular 

 branch of medical studies may elect more than one 

 of the half-courses offered in a given subject, but 



