The Medical profession.

  • Reaney, Michael Foster.
Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The Medical profession. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    to his new surroundings. On the surgical side he is, perhaps, more directly under the eye of his house-surgeon, than he is when acting as clerk ; he is given something deiinite to do, is shown how to do it, and it is seen that he does it. Thus he is kept fully employed and watched over, and there is less likelihood of his becoming a careless worker ; while if he commences as a clerk, slackness may only call forth the satire and good-humoured banter of his chief. Looking things all round, it is probably best, therefore, that the student should commence his hospital work by acting as surgical dresser for, say, three months. This may well be followed by six months as a clerk, the second three months of surgical work following the latter. Opinions differ much as to the best course to follow, and in many cases it is settled mechani- cally by the number of vacancies in the clerk and dresser list. At what period in his course should the student attend the out-patient' department ? In many places he acts as surgical dresser in the department, while still in the school, rather because the work must be done by some one than with the view of learning much. It is generally recognised, however, that the out-patients' department should be the haunt of the senior men, rather than of those just commencing their hospital work. The teacher has little time to attend to the earlier instruction in methods of diagnosis and such like work, and cases must be seen so rapidly, that it is essential that the student should have some idea of the earlier portions of his subjects. The method of out-side visiting, existing in one or two places, has much to be said for it from the point of view of the student, as-he thus has opportunities of seeing cases in their own home surroundings, and has a certain amount of responsibility thrown on him. This question of responsibility is important : it is highly desirable that the student, prior to qualifying, should gradu- ally be able to take upon himself more and more responsibility. At present it is difficult, outside maternity work, to see exactly how this end can be obtained without detracting in any way from the welfare of the patients. Of course, much must depend on the man, and even now-a-days a capable student is often allowed, by a judicious resident officer, to do many little operations under the latter's supervision. After a student has completed his ordinary ward work, and has proved, if necessary, his efficiency by means of class examinations and such like tests, it should be possible for him to have a small number of patients under his immediate charge, and, supervised by his chief and the resident officer, to be c