Most general hospitals in New Orleans will fall short of their quota of approved internships this year.
Hospital administrators blame the situation on medical schools not keeping pace with the growth of hospitals.
There are about 15,000 internships approved by the American Medical Association in the nation's hospitals.
But graduates of medical schools this year total less than half that number.
Hospitals have increased steadily in number and to size. But f&edical schools are not graduating doctors at tie same pace.
This is the trouble, say the hospitals.
Not so, say medical school educators.
First off, they say Hiere sm altogether too many hospital spots approved for internship for medical school graduates.
Most critical analysis of tie situation, as seen by the educators, attacks the hospitals themselves.
The deans of tie two medical schools in New Orleans feel that a good training program for interns at a hospital would attract the graduate doctors, and its j quota would be filled. | In the absence of a fine training program, an intern is, in ef-ifect, cheap labor for hospital [chores.
I This was the sense of discussions with Dr, William W. Frye dean of the Louisiana State university medical school, and Dr, Clifford G. Grulee Jr., acting dean of the Tulane university medical
Fortunately for the public, patient service is not affected by the Internship problem, except insofar as Charity hospital Is concerned.
There, as was announced a few weeks ago, the hospital may discontinue sending interns on ambulance calls. " AT CHARITY, MERCY
Charity has a quota of 126 in-' terns, more than the total of all other hospitals in the city. Only 53 will enter internship at the hospital in July, though this figure may go up to 59 by fall.
Dr. Leo J. Kerne, hospital director, said he was disappointed
in the number of interns "from among our own medical schools." He said he guessed "the pasture looks greener elsewhere."
He said the intern pay is low at Charity, and he felt that some graduates may be "sacrificing learning for monetary considerations."
Hie shortage of interns, in addition to Its effect on the ambulance service, will mean "less assistance for the resident doctors" at Charity, said Dr. Kerne.
The "financial factor" was mentioned by Sister Mary Kier-an, too. She is administrator at Mercy hospital, where nine internships have been approved but only five graduates—one American and four from foreign medical schools—will work and study this year.
The four foreigners will first
have to pass an examination given on Sept. 30 by the Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates to determine their qualifications, she said.
AT OTHER HOSPITALS
"While this is not a criticism of the medical schools, the cost of education is high and requires a lot of time,"' she said.
Sister Carlos, Hotel-Dieu administrator, said the shortage-— 12 openings with seven vacancies —- at this hospital is of "some concern, but we can get by."
While recognizing that the internship prograir "as much for teaching as iur service," Sister Carlos said that if there is no intern for an operation "the surgeon will get another assistant of his own."
Flint-Goodridge hospital has no internship program. And
Ochsner Foundation hospital has an internal training program controlled by one of the departments of the hospital under a fellowship arrangement.
Touro infirmary has a quota of 20 interns, but will have about half that number this year, according to Dr. John C. McKenzie, director.
Like most other hospital administrators in the city, he blamed the disproportion between the number of graduates and the number of approved internships.
There are not enough medical schools," he said. "Most schools have long waiting lists ©f students wanting to study medicine."
BAPTIST QUOTA FILLED
Of interest is the comment of Raymond C. Wilson, administrator of Baptist hospital, only hospital in the city which will fill its quota of 20 interns.
He, too, recognized that there are two or more positions available for every graduate but his comment stressed hospital's training program
"Credit for a full quota ox terns should go to our mec cal staff interest in a fine training program," he said.
Dr. Frye said: "Wherever there is a good training program, there'll be interns. When an internship is set up, we expect the man to get good training — practice under supervision."
Neither Dr. Frye nor Dr. Grulee directed their views at any one hospital program, but they indicated in a general way that the intern, in a hospital was "a forgotten man" in many respects.
Dr. Grulee injected another j thought into his views on Jhe
nternship program — P u b 1 i <* relations.
"Hospitals will have to put out information about their programs, perhaps in attractive brochures, so that serving an internship there would be interesting as well as educational, he said.
