Education; Priestley, Joseph, 1733-1804; Science -- Study and teaching
Two of my colleagues, Professor Turner and Mr. Bryce, M.P., whose
practical familiarity with examinations gave their opinions a high
value, expressed their substantial approval of this scheme, and I am
unable to see the weight of the objections urged against it. It is
urged that the difficulty and expense of adequately inspecting so many
examinations and of guaranteeing their efficiency would be great, and
the difficulty in the way of a fair adjustment of the representation of
existing interests and of the representation of new interests upon the
general Medical Council would be almost insuperable.
The latter objection is unintelligible to me. I am not aware that any
attempt at such adjustment has been fairly discussed, and until that
has been done it may be well not to talk about insuperable
difficulties. As to the notion that there is any difficulty in getting
the coadjutor-examiners, or that the expense will be overwhelming, we
have the experience of Scotland, in which every University does, at the
present time, appoint its coadjutor-examiners, who do their work just
in the way proposed.
Whether in the way I have proposed, or by the Conjoint Scheme, however,
this is perfectly certain: the two things I refer to have to be done:
you must have the threefold qualification; you must have the limitation
of the minimum qualification also; and any scheme for the improvement
of the relations of the State to medicine which does not profess to do
these two things thoroughly and well, has no chance of finality.
But when these reforms are witnessed, when there is a Medical Council
armed with a more real authority than it at present possesses; when a
license to practice cannot be obtained without the threefold
qualification; and when an even minimum of qualification is exacted for
every licence, is there anything else that remains that any one
seriously interested in the welfare of the medical profession, as I may
most conscientiously declare myself to be, would like to see done? I
think there are three things.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account