it is evidence enough for me that the battle is worth continuing. A man once said "I have a dream." A Nobel committee recognized him. He, like all of us, was not perfect, but he gave his life for a cause. That cause persists. William Gee, MD Director Vascular Laboratory Lehigh Valley Hospital Allentown, Pa.
Congratulations to Dr. Waugh for his thoughtful and honest article. I recently discovered that prejudice is sometimes directed toward targets even beyond race or religion: medical schools. For the past 2 years I have been interviewing candidates for the University of Toronto's medical school. A question I routinely ask all candidates is whether they have any biases or prejudices. One young man I asked vehemently denied having any. I then enquired as to which other medical schools he had applied to; he listed every one in Ontario except McMaster. When I questioned him about this exception he explained that it was "an 'airy-fairy' school." I am pleased to say that he was not accepted at our institution.
ever ridding ourselves of the need for scapegoats, was intended to evoke just the sort of reaction that he evinces - to stab readers into a reaction of vigorous disagreement. Thanks to him, I shall sleep happily tonight. Like Dr. Letovsky I am constantly discovering new sources of prejudice - some of them, distressingly, in me. I trust that he had reasons other than prejudice for turning down that student; had I been in his shoes, though, I too might have been
tempted. Douglas Waugh, MD Ottawa, Ont.
Best wishes from Russia
I send best wishes from Russia, to be exact from Samara town on Volga river. Twenty years ago I have graduated medical institute and till now work as orthopedic surgeon and teach medical students. I work in child department. My work is connected with bone, sinew, muscle surgery. My patients are crippled children (brain palsy), different inborn deformiEric Letovsky, MD, CM, FRCPC, ties as clubfoot, flatfoot and so on. MCFP (EM) For the last 5 years in Russia Assistant professor and program director have place big changes. Medicine Emergency Residency Program Department of Family and Community in our country till now is free, but Medicine we on the difficult way to a marUniversity of Toronto ket economy. Because of this I Toronto, Ont. have a strong desire to learn system of Canadian health care in [The author responds.] general and more strictly in surI would like to reassure Dr. Gee gery (orthopedic specialty). What that my final sentence, in which I is the price of medicine, instrusound a note of despair about our ment, different operations? What
OCTOBER 15, 1992
is labour wage of medical workers? I would like to exchange opinions about events in our and your country on different problems concerning medicine and life. I would be glad to have a pen-friend among medicine of my specialty (but not obligatory) with which I want to discuss methods of treatment different diseases. We have also some success in treatment of orthopedic diseases on world level. Also I would like to improve my knowledge of English (Canadian language). Special literature is scarce in our shops. What are events for abroad we are known from television, but it is concerned politics. About medicine is nothing. I am for cooperation and friendship between our peoples, not only on presidential level but on level ordinary people. I don't understand why we must to "feed" our armies when a lot of problems in our life. I am for mutual cooperation for benefit of our patients. It is a pity, but I have not Canadian money; instead of this I can send interesting literature (stamps and so on) in Russian language. Maybe among you somebody wants to improve knowledge of Russian language. Wait an answer in any case. Again with best wishes. Sergey Alexandrovich Gorlov Post Box 1767 Post Office 443051 Samara, Russia
[This letter has been left almost in its original form to preserve the flavour and level of Dr. Gorlov's English. Any reader interested in corresponding with him is encouraged to write directly. - Ed.]
CAN MED ASSOC J 1992; 147 (8)
1119
Congratulations to Dr. Waugh for his thoughtful and honest article. I recently discovered that prejudice is sometimes directed toward targets even beyond race or religion: medical schools. For the past 2 years I have been interviewing candidates for the University of Toronto's medical school. A question I routinely ask all candidates is whether they have any biases or prejudices. One young man I asked vehemently denied having any. I then enquired as to which other medical schools he had applied to; he listed every one in Ontario except McMaster. When I questioned him about this exception he explained that it was "an 'airy-fairy' school." I am pleased to say that he was not accepted at our institution.
ever ridding ourselves of the need for scapegoats, was intended to evoke just the sort of reaction that he evinces - to stab readers into a reaction of vigorous disagreement. Thanks to him, I shall sleep happily tonight. Like Dr. Letovsky I am constantly discovering new sources of prejudice - some of them, distressingly, in me. I trust that he had reasons other than prejudice for turning down that student; had I been in his shoes, though, I too might have been
tempted. Douglas Waugh, MD Ottawa, Ont.
Best wishes from Russia
I send best wishes from Russia, to be exact from Samara town on Volga river. Twenty years ago I have graduated medical institute and till now work as orthopedic surgeon and teach medical students. I work in child department. My work is connected with bone, sinew, muscle surgery. My patients are crippled children (brain palsy), different inborn deformiEric Letovsky, MD, CM, FRCPC, ties as clubfoot, flatfoot and so on. MCFP (EM) For the last 5 years in Russia Assistant professor and program director have place big changes. Medicine Emergency Residency Program Department of Family and Community in our country till now is free, but Medicine we on the difficult way to a marUniversity of Toronto ket economy. Because of this I Toronto, Ont. have a strong desire to learn system of Canadian health care in [The author responds.] general and more strictly in surI would like to reassure Dr. Gee gery (orthopedic specialty). What that my final sentence, in which I is the price of medicine, instrusound a note of despair about our ment, different operations? What
OCTOBER 15, 1992
is labour wage of medical workers? I would like to exchange opinions about events in our and your country on different problems concerning medicine and life. I would be glad to have a pen-friend among medicine of my specialty (but not obligatory) with which I want to discuss methods of treatment different diseases. We have also some success in treatment of orthopedic diseases on world level. Also I would like to improve my knowledge of English (Canadian language). Special literature is scarce in our shops. What are events for abroad we are known from television, but it is concerned politics. About medicine is nothing. I am for cooperation and friendship between our peoples, not only on presidential level but on level ordinary people. I don't understand why we must to "feed" our armies when a lot of problems in our life. I am for mutual cooperation for benefit of our patients. It is a pity, but I have not Canadian money; instead of this I can send interesting literature (stamps and so on) in Russian language. Maybe among you somebody wants to improve knowledge of Russian language. Wait an answer in any case. Again with best wishes. Sergey Alexandrovich Gorlov Post Box 1767 Post Office 443051 Samara, Russia
[This letter has been left almost in its original form to preserve the flavour and level of Dr. Gorlov's English. Any reader interested in corresponding with him is encouraged to write directly. - Ed.]
CAN MED ASSOC J 1992; 147 (8)
1119
