Yesterday and to-day / by Francis J. Shepherd.

  • Francis Shepherd
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Yesterday and to-day / by Francis J. Shepherd. 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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    progress. See that you keep it brightly burning and never let it run out of oil of research and careful observation. Now as to medical education, I am a strong advocate of a five years course, but believe the fifth year should be devoted to practical work only, not to lectures. Owing to the faulty preliminary education of most students, much time is wasted at first in learning how to learn, and then owing to the fact that their powers of observation have never been cul- tivated, they have to learn how to observe for themselves and not through the medium of others. I find that many students do not know the meaning of words, and they have only a parrot knowledge of their subjects, a truly deplorable state of affairs. Learn less but learn that well. The fault of modern education is that it attempts too much. Numberless subjects are dipped into, not mastered, and all the new methods and subjects are much elaborated whilst the old are compara- tively neglected. It is my opinion, that although every one should have a laboratory training, it is possible to have too much even of this ; that the true laboratory of the medical student in his final years is the hospi- tal, and hospital should be attended without the fear of a coming exam- ination before one’s eyes, and without the tediousness of always attending lectures. The performing of large and important operations in the public theatre is not profitable to the student, nor should didactic lectures be given in the operating theatre, with the patient in bed for a text, be con- sidered clinical lectures. It is most difficult to teach, clinically, large classes, hence, these should be divided up, and a number of men appoint- ed to give tutorial instruction at the bedside. In surgery, the students in rotation could be made actual helpers, should sew up wounds, tie liga- tures, etc., under the direction of the chief or his assistants. The out-door service should be made use of. I hear now it is much neglected because of want of time. This should not be, for it is a most important service, and the knowledge gained there is of inestimable benefit to the young practitioner and furnishes the class of cases he is likely to see the most of. Besides, in the out-door clinics the instruction is truly clinical and practical. I think you are over examined and fear you consider examin- ations are the end of all things. Alas ! When you have got through them, the first step only has been taken, and there are many more pre- cipitous heights yet to climb. One will begin to make progress when he realises how very little he knows of any subject. To seek knowledge for its own sake and not merely to pass examinations or for what it will bring in dollars and cents, is one of the things to be expected at the coming millenium, but endeavour to do this as nearly as you can. “ Happy is the. man that flmleth wisdom and the man that getteth understand- ing. for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than pure gold.”
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