Fear Construction Funds
The AMA, however, is still against the bill not only because it offers a premium to new medical students but also because new medical schools under the present bill will get a full $1000 for every student. The medical group, furthermore, has come out against federal aid for construction. In a statement drafted by its house of delegates at the December meeting in Washington, the AMA states, "--no grants or construction should be made until the needs of all the medical schools have been surveyed and balanced, until a long range program has been developed.--Vesting in the Surgeon General such full authority to award grants will open the door for political pressure and interference."
The AMA suggests that the necessary funds could be provided by a nationwide fund-raising campaign--something not yet tried by medical education--or by state and local governments from current taxes. In any case the doctors' organization is diametrically opposed to having the federal government expert any control over the medical profession. In one statement at the meeting in Washington, the group even suggested that "the proponents of socialized medicine plan the training of this excessive number of prac
This is the first of a series of two articles studying the bill in the House of Representatives to provide financial aid to medical schools and a system of federal scholarships to medical students. Tomorrow's section deals with the scholarship program. titioners in order to force the nationalization of medicine through economic pressure."
Conant for Bill
Standing with the Association of Medical Colleges in their move to obtain federal aid are numerous educators and all the public health authorities. President Conant and President H. M. Wriston of Brown University voiced their approval in telegrams sent to the House subcommittee when hearings began on H. R. 4312 in July. Brig. General James S. Simons, retired, dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, testified before the same group that the future of public health services was in serious danger if some aid was not voted soon.
Presently, the bill awaits a ruling in the House Rules Committee before coming up for a vote in the House