A lifetime of quantum leaps in medicine: 1935 to 1989

Article Abstract:

A physician born in Switzerland, but who trained in the United States during the 1940s, describes his experiences in the rapidly changing practice of medicine. During his career, he had opportunities to work with the first patients treated with sulfa drugs, penicillin, radioactive isotopes, and cortisone. Some of the purported advances he observed were later proven to be worthless, such as treatments that were supposed to cure cancer. He describes the differences between the performance of autopsies in Europe and the United States, the former being so messy that galoshes were required. Also, early in his career, he was impressed and shocked when his research on pneumonia in guinea pigs made the headlines of the Boston Globe. He was involved in the first efforts in cancer research, an exciting field that was on the fringe of medicine in its early years. Finally, the author admits to feeling ignorant when reviewing current medical advances that are described in the literature in a language that seems foreign to him. He remembers an era when doctors had few treatments to choose from and when no effective treatment was available for many diseases. He expresses hope that young doctors training today will offer as much to medical practice as the colleagues he knew and worked with during his career. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

History, Medical care, Medical research

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Women in medical specialty societies: an update

Article Abstract:

The rate at which women join medical specialty societies was studied by sending a questionnaire to 48 of these societies. These represented the 37 different specialties that are recognized in the 1986 edition of Physician Characteristics and Distribution in the U.S. The response rate to the questionnaire was 79 percent, but only 20 societies were able to identify the gender of their members. Among these 20 were the societies that represent the six specialties most popular with female physicians. The rate of the women's enrollment was equal to men's in only two societies: the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians. It was concluded that if the medical specialty societies do not attract more female members, they will fail to tap a significant source of leaders, participants, and financial contributors. An additional drawback of having disproportionately few female members is that a medical specialty society that does not represent all physicians practicing in the specialty could lose the respect of medical and government organizations.

Sex discrimination, Women in medicine

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Graduate medical education in the changing environment of medicine

Article Abstract:

From 1981 to 1991, the number of medical residency positions grew 21% to 1.2 positions available per resident. The number and distribution of residents does not reflect population figures. It ranges from 75 per 100,000 in California and New York to zero in Alaska and Montana. Of those completing residency programs, 44% entered practice and 39% entered other graduate medical education programs. Thirty percent are women; 20% are graduates of medical schools outside the US. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), a private organization, accredits 6900 residency programs, with 25 specialties and 56 subspecialties. Thirty-five of these subspecialties have been accredited since 1987. No organization including the federal government, mandates the number of residency positions, their location or speciality mix. Graduate medical education provides patient care and additional medical training, but it is costly. This must be taken into account in health care reform measures.

Evaluation, Graduate medical education, Accreditation (Education), Postgraduate medical education

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