THE FELLOWSHIP OP THE ROYAL COLLEGE OP SURGEONS OP ENGLAND. The Council of the
Surgeons have at last decided regulations for the Fellowship. They are briefly these :?First, nny member of the College is admissible to the examination ; secondly, that a member of less than ten years' standing is admissible to the First Professional Examination in human and comparative anatomy and physiology at anj time after receiving the diploma of member, and to the second examination in surgery, including surgical anatomy and pathology, at any time after passing the first examination, on producing satisfactory evidence of having attained the age of twenty-five years, and of having been engaged not less than six years in the study, or study and practice of his profession ; thirdly, that a member of not less than ten years' standing be examined in surgical and regional anatomy at the first examination, and in surgery, chiefly practical surgery, at the second examination to which he shall be admissible at any time after passing the first. The preliminary examination will, therefore, no longer be compulsory. Putting this in other words it really means that any member of the College can become a Fellow provided he gets through somehow or other the examination. He may have never seen a case of surgical disease from the on
College
of
the alterations to be introduced into the
time he ceases to be
a
student till lie goes in for the Fellow-
ship, and yet if he can get up sufficient appearance of knowledge to deceive the examiners?probably no very difficult task?he can secure the Fellowship. Formerly the College a special course of study for the Fellowship, in all but required the very senior recipients of the honour ; now it plainly says this was a mistake. No special course of study is necessary, with book-work you can be utterly independent of practical work. Probably the best class of Fellows in the old day3 were
the men who resided six years at a medical school from entering, for the purpose of taking the Fellowship
their first
they embarked abolished, or rather
the voyage of life.
before
on
is
it will be
the others, and three years at
a
Now this class
indistinguishably merged hospital with one year
with else-
required for the education of a Fellow of the College of Surgeons. We think this is a great pity. The the of Fellowship is now utterly destroyed. Nobody prestige will care to possess a diploma which may merely mean that where is all that is
you have deceived a few examiners into thinking you know a little about physiology, anatomy and surgery j which little knowledge you may have picked up while
following
profession of tooth-brush seller. However, the the College ought to know their own business
the lucrative
Council of
best, but it is very difficult for an outsider to believe that they really had the welfare of the College at? heart when they passed such an absurd series of regulations. Possibly their motive was the
pecuniary well-being
of the College. It ia hand, that the movement may have originated with some one, who, though in the College of Surgeons, lias the benefit of some other corporation more
possible,
on
the other
April
closely Fellows talked
MEDICAL REGISTRATION.
2, 1877.] heart, and who degraded. Tf so, how over his collengues to
at his
telling them all the simple gentlemen.
may wish to see the body of amused he must be to have commit this
time it was for their
happy despatch, good?the poor good
As tbe Council of the have
College of Surgeons have gone so far and all the differences between the education of a
destroyed
Member and the matter
a
that of
a
Fellow,
little further to its
would it not be better to carry legitimate conclusion and call
once a Fellow, thus abolishing the farce of the cramming to which perhaps a few of the more stupid candidates for the Fellowship will submit before presenting themelves for examination ? We are particularly sorry that the College should have taken such a foolish step, for it has always been in the front rank of progressive bodies hitherto. The way, though with very inadequate funds at its command, it supports its magnificent museum and excellent library, make it an object of admiration for the whole medical world. It is a great pity, therefore, that the foolish old gentlemen on the Council should have so grossly committed themselves as to
every Member at additional little
lower the status of their Fellows.
Surgeons have at last decided regulations for the Fellowship. They are briefly these :?First, nny member of the College is admissible to the examination ; secondly, that a member of less than ten years' standing is admissible to the First Professional Examination in human and comparative anatomy and physiology at anj time after receiving the diploma of member, and to the second examination in surgery, including surgical anatomy and pathology, at any time after passing the first examination, on producing satisfactory evidence of having attained the age of twenty-five years, and of having been engaged not less than six years in the study, or study and practice of his profession ; thirdly, that a member of not less than ten years' standing be examined in surgical and regional anatomy at the first examination, and in surgery, chiefly practical surgery, at the second examination to which he shall be admissible at any time after passing the first. The preliminary examination will, therefore, no longer be compulsory. Putting this in other words it really means that any member of the College can become a Fellow provided he gets through somehow or other the examination. He may have never seen a case of surgical disease from the on
College
of
the alterations to be introduced into the
time he ceases to be
a
student till lie goes in for the Fellow-
ship, and yet if he can get up sufficient appearance of knowledge to deceive the examiners?probably no very difficult task?he can secure the Fellowship. Formerly the College a special course of study for the Fellowship, in all but required the very senior recipients of the honour ; now it plainly says this was a mistake. No special course of study is necessary, with book-work you can be utterly independent of practical work. Probably the best class of Fellows in the old day3 were
the men who resided six years at a medical school from entering, for the purpose of taking the Fellowship
their first
they embarked abolished, or rather
the voyage of life.
before
on
is
it will be
the others, and three years at
a
Now this class
indistinguishably merged hospital with one year
with else-
required for the education of a Fellow of the College of Surgeons. We think this is a great pity. The the of Fellowship is now utterly destroyed. Nobody prestige will care to possess a diploma which may merely mean that where is all that is
you have deceived a few examiners into thinking you know a little about physiology, anatomy and surgery j which little knowledge you may have picked up while
following
profession of tooth-brush seller. However, the the College ought to know their own business
the lucrative
Council of
best, but it is very difficult for an outsider to believe that they really had the welfare of the College at? heart when they passed such an absurd series of regulations. Possibly their motive was the
pecuniary well-being
of the College. It ia hand, that the movement may have originated with some one, who, though in the College of Surgeons, lias the benefit of some other corporation more
possible,
on
the other
April
closely Fellows talked
MEDICAL REGISTRATION.
2, 1877.] heart, and who degraded. Tf so, how over his collengues to
at his
telling them all the simple gentlemen.
may wish to see the body of amused he must be to have commit this
time it was for their
happy despatch, good?the poor good
As tbe Council of the have
College of Surgeons have gone so far and all the differences between the education of a
destroyed
Member and the matter
a
that of
a
Fellow,
little further to its
would it not be better to carry legitimate conclusion and call
once a Fellow, thus abolishing the farce of the cramming to which perhaps a few of the more stupid candidates for the Fellowship will submit before presenting themelves for examination ? We are particularly sorry that the College should have taken such a foolish step, for it has always been in the front rank of progressive bodies hitherto. The way, though with very inadequate funds at its command, it supports its magnificent museum and excellent library, make it an object of admiration for the whole medical world. It is a great pity, therefore, that the foolish old gentlemen on the Council should have so grossly committed themselves as to
every Member at additional little
lower the status of their Fellows.
