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The New Methods of the National Board of Medical Examiners
Editorial Department
033
recent past there has been altogether too much conjecture, and too much radical interference with nature. Sittin g down and soberly thinking over the present situation it is not far-fetch ed or u njust to charge th e profession with a mental aberration on this su bject which would be ludicrous if it were not so serious. I t is always serious to pursue a practice which works irrepar able in ju ry to patients, and this is being done every day in th e name of so-called “modern methods.” It is radicalism gone mad. The havoc th at has already been wrought in human mouths can never be com puted and the tim e m ust come when it shall cease if we are to preserve th e reputation of our profession, and stand unsullied w ith an open countenance before the eyes of thinking men.
TH E N E W M ETHODS OF THE N A T IO N A L BOARD OF MEDICAL EXAMINERS A few months ago the National Board of Medical Exam iners adopted a new and what has proved to be an unusually successful plan fo r conducting its examinations. Form erly each exam ination was held in one isolated city, so th a t applicants were required to spend tim e and money in railway travel th a t few could afford. The only variation was in the occasional selection of a different city for th e examination. Under the new plan, th e exam ination is divided into th ree p a rts : P art I to be taken by students a t th e end of the sophomore y e a r; P a rt II at th e end o f the fourth year, and P a rt III, a practical examination, on completion of the student’s hospital interne year. O f great importance, however, is the fa c t th a t P a rts I and II of the exam ination may be taken by the student in any Class A medical school, and even P a rt I II may be taken in any one of fifteen large cities in different parts of the country in which th e exam inations are held simultaneously— a plan sim ilar to th a t repeatedly suggested by th e Journal. Under th e new plan, also, instead of a nominal fee of $5.00 th e exam ination fee has been increased to $100.00, $25.00 each fo r P a rts I and II, and $50.00 fo r P a rt III. The results of the first exam ination under th e new plan have ju s t been received. Instead of from ten to sixty— the latter the highest number heretofore— 108 students appeared a t this examina tion, eighty-seven in P a rt I and twenty-one in P a rt I I ; and this in spite o f th e higher fees. The results of the new plan, therefore, are most encouraging. The more convenient arrangem ent fo r the examination, the larger numbers taking it, and th e larger income obtained constitute a greater guaranty o f the permanence of th is board. Instead of being
634
T h e Jo u rn a l of the National D ental Association
dependent on the ch arity of a great foundation, it will h ereafter be on a self-supporting basis. The recognition of the certificate granted by th is board is being widely extended. It is now recognized by the Army and Navy fo r admission to the medical corps of those services; it is accepted by twenty-one state licensing boards in lieu of th eir own w ritten examinations, and it is accepted by the Triple Qualification Board of Scotland and the Conjoint Board of London fo r admission to th eir final exam inations.— Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc., April, 1922.
PROPOSED HIGH TARIFF O N SCIENTIFIC IN STRUM ENTS The Fordney Tariff Bill places an increased ta riff on microscopic, optical and other scientific instrum ents and, according to newspaper reports, the Senate, on motion of its Finance Committee, has refused requests by educational institutions th a t they be perm itted to obtain scientific instrum ents and apparatus free of duty. In th is regard the proposed legislation is a complete reversal of the government’s attitude toward educational institutions. The available funds fo r scientific instru ments in such institutions are invariably inadequate in comparison with the great needs and possibilities of education and scientific research, which should not be hindered by undue taxation. Exem ption of edu cation from taxation has been the policy of previous bills and it has proved satisfactory. It is to be hoped th a t the Senate may see its way clear to reconsider this particular point ; failing th at, th at the situation may be corrected when the tariff bill comes to conference. To eliminate th e exemption of educational institutions would be a serious blow to the cause of science and of scientific medicine in particular.— Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc., June, 1922.
“ T h e r e is n o d o u b t b u t t h a t t h e J o u r n a l o f th e N a t i o n a l D e n t a l A s s o c ia tio n is t h e b e s t d e n t a l m a g a z in e i n e x is te n c e a n d
I w i s h to s a y a g a i n w h a t I h a v e s a id m a n y
t im e s b e f o r e a n d t h a t is t h a t w e h a v e o u r e d it o r t o t h a n k v e r y la r g e ly f o r t h e J o u r n a l as w e h a v e i t n o w .” ( S ig n e d )
Tom Sm ith,
Langdon, N. D.
033
recent past there has been altogether too much conjecture, and too much radical interference with nature. Sittin g down and soberly thinking over the present situation it is not far-fetch ed or u njust to charge th e profession with a mental aberration on this su bject which would be ludicrous if it were not so serious. I t is always serious to pursue a practice which works irrepar able in ju ry to patients, and this is being done every day in th e name of so-called “modern methods.” It is radicalism gone mad. The havoc th at has already been wrought in human mouths can never be com puted and the tim e m ust come when it shall cease if we are to preserve th e reputation of our profession, and stand unsullied w ith an open countenance before the eyes of thinking men.
TH E N E W M ETHODS OF THE N A T IO N A L BOARD OF MEDICAL EXAMINERS A few months ago the National Board of Medical Exam iners adopted a new and what has proved to be an unusually successful plan fo r conducting its examinations. Form erly each exam ination was held in one isolated city, so th a t applicants were required to spend tim e and money in railway travel th a t few could afford. The only variation was in the occasional selection of a different city for th e examination. Under the new plan, th e exam ination is divided into th ree p a rts : P art I to be taken by students a t th e end of the sophomore y e a r; P a rt II at th e end o f the fourth year, and P a rt III, a practical examination, on completion of the student’s hospital interne year. O f great importance, however, is the fa c t th a t P a rts I and II of the exam ination may be taken by the student in any Class A medical school, and even P a rt I II may be taken in any one of fifteen large cities in different parts of the country in which th e exam inations are held simultaneously— a plan sim ilar to th a t repeatedly suggested by th e Journal. Under th e new plan, also, instead of a nominal fee of $5.00 th e exam ination fee has been increased to $100.00, $25.00 each fo r P a rts I and II, and $50.00 fo r P a rt III. The results of the first exam ination under th e new plan have ju s t been received. Instead of from ten to sixty— the latter the highest number heretofore— 108 students appeared a t this examina tion, eighty-seven in P a rt I and twenty-one in P a rt I I ; and this in spite o f th e higher fees. The results of the new plan, therefore, are most encouraging. The more convenient arrangem ent fo r the examination, the larger numbers taking it, and th e larger income obtained constitute a greater guaranty o f the permanence of th is board. Instead of being
634
T h e Jo u rn a l of the National D ental Association
dependent on the ch arity of a great foundation, it will h ereafter be on a self-supporting basis. The recognition of the certificate granted by th is board is being widely extended. It is now recognized by the Army and Navy fo r admission to the medical corps of those services; it is accepted by twenty-one state licensing boards in lieu of th eir own w ritten examinations, and it is accepted by the Triple Qualification Board of Scotland and the Conjoint Board of London fo r admission to th eir final exam inations.— Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc., April, 1922.
PROPOSED HIGH TARIFF O N SCIENTIFIC IN STRUM ENTS The Fordney Tariff Bill places an increased ta riff on microscopic, optical and other scientific instrum ents and, according to newspaper reports, the Senate, on motion of its Finance Committee, has refused requests by educational institutions th a t they be perm itted to obtain scientific instrum ents and apparatus free of duty. In th is regard the proposed legislation is a complete reversal of the government’s attitude toward educational institutions. The available funds fo r scientific instru ments in such institutions are invariably inadequate in comparison with the great needs and possibilities of education and scientific research, which should not be hindered by undue taxation. Exem ption of edu cation from taxation has been the policy of previous bills and it has proved satisfactory. It is to be hoped th a t the Senate may see its way clear to reconsider this particular point ; failing th at, th at the situation may be corrected when the tariff bill comes to conference. To eliminate th e exemption of educational institutions would be a serious blow to the cause of science and of scientific medicine in particular.— Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc., June, 1922.
“ T h e r e is n o d o u b t b u t t h a t t h e J o u r n a l o f th e N a t i o n a l D e n t a l A s s o c ia tio n is t h e b e s t d e n t a l m a g a z in e i n e x is te n c e a n d
I w i s h to s a y a g a i n w h a t I h a v e s a id m a n y
t im e s b e f o r e a n d t h a t is t h a t w e h a v e o u r e d it o r t o t h a n k v e r y la r g e ly f o r t h e J o u r n a l as w e h a v e i t n o w .” ( S ig n e d )
Tom Sm ith,
Langdon, N. D.