The real rewards of medicine : the valedictory address delivered at the commencement of the Jefferson Medical College, May 2, 1893 / by W.W. Keen.

  • Keen, William W. (William Williams), 1837-1932.
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The real rewards of medicine : the valedictory address delivered at the commencement of the Jefferson Medical College, May 2, 1893 / by W.W. Keen. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    THE REAL REWARDS OF MEDICI; The Valedictory Address Delivered at the Commencement of the Jefferson Medical BY W. W. KEEN, M. D., LL.D. Professor of the Principles of Surgery and of Clinical Surgery. Reprinted from The College and Clinical Record, May, i Gentlemen of the Graduating Class : The revolving cycle of the passing years makes it to-day my pleasing duty to say a parting word of advice, of caution, and of cheer to you. And first let me say the word of cheer; not only because it is the pleasantest to be spoken, but because in your earlier years of practice you will need it far more than any other word I could speak to you. I am sure that the public do not understand, nor do they appreciate, not only the many years of study before a young doctor can even begin to be self-supporting, but the many years of discouragement, with an empty purse and accumulating bills, which beset his early professional life. Should he desire to enter upon the profession thoroughly equipped it means, first, the years of prepara- tion in the common schools, from seven to eighteen; then four years in college, then three, or as soon will be the case, four years of study in the Medical School, then at least a year in a Hospital, and, if possible, a year or two abroad. In other words, twenty-one years of study are practically what is required, completely to fit a man even to begin to earn his living by the practice of medicine in any of its branches. And in his earlier years the doctor is paid in many cases far less than the pittance which is bestowed even on the humble day-laborer. I remember very well one of the brightest young men in the profession, who had all the advantages I have just described, and who, some time after having hung out his shingle, came to me gready discouraged and said, I think I shall have to give up the practice of medicine. Why so, Doctor? said I in surprise, knowing his ability and future r^rrMTiise. Because, said he, I do not think I can earn enough to support myself and my wife (for he was already married), and I do not wish to be dependent all my life on my father. How much have you earned by your practice since your gradua- tion ? I asked. He replied, It is now seven months since I opened my office, and I have received exactly $2.50. In other words, in 210 days he had received a little more than one cent a day! And in my own personal experience, when I had been in practice for five years, in the month of June I paid and received all told seven visits, of which three were charity visits, two patients ran away and paid me nothing, and two paid me $1.00 each. Many years ago I was returning in the street cars, at six o'clock in the morning, from St. Mary's Hospital, where I had spent the entire night in attending to the victims of a terrible fire in a mill, and, seeing my case of instruments, a laborer, evidently an intelli- gent man, just starting for his summer day's work, accosted me and wanted to know where I had been. Upon my telling him what I had been doing, he said to me, I suppose you'll get a right good salary for working all night and doing a lot of operations ; and he was completely dumbfounded when he learned that not only had I gone to the hospital at my own expense, but had served the institution for years without charge, and that every hospital surgeon, and hospital physician, and hospital resident in the city gave his labor and the best work of his life for years entirely free of charge to the patients under his care. Yet time brings its rewards, and you will find if you do good work that your friends and neighbors will after a time surely recog- nize your merit. If you have genius you