Doctor Shortage

The average age of doctors in the U. S. is 52. As death comes to all men, so it will come at last to these, and then there will be very few to take their places. So, last week, declared Dr. William Allen Pusey, onetime (1923-24) President of the American Medical Association, in a pamphlet published by the Association. He gave his reasons--the expense and difficulty of a modern medical education makes it impossible for poor men to become doctors. Said he: "The minimum requirements 25 years ago were that the student should be 21 years old, have attended three years of medical school. . . . Now entrance requirements include three years of college; the medical course is five years, including one year of hospital ... an expense of $8,000 to $10,000.... It will be difficult to get graduates, even more difficult to get graduates to go to rural districts. . . . We are not now producing men to do the ordinary service of medicine for the ordinary people. . . . midwives taking the place of physicians. . . . death certificates marked 'no physician attending.' ..."