More Medical Students

Abstract

It is not easy for the 25th speaker on a program devoted to medical education to add anything which is new or different from what has already been said. But it certainly is appropriate to give some attention to the number and quality of the young people from whom the future members of the medical profession are being created. Obviously, medical schools select their students from the pool of candidates who make themselves known by submitting applications. In this country, to qualify for consideration by a medical school, the candidate must have completed at least two and usually three years of college study. This is an extremely effective screening device, since a student must perform well in his premedical program if he is to have much chance for acceptance by a medical school. In effect, this means that access to medicine as a career is very greatly affected by the