Drexel University College of Medicine - Medic Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

Page 12 text:

The Class of 1951, composed of more than 70 per cent World War II veterans, entered Hahnemann in time to witness the departure of the last war-time class trained under the Army and Navy at Hahnemann. The ensuing four years have wrought many changes: in the individuals themselves, in our staff, in our surround- ings, and. most certainly not the least, in the status of Hahnemann in the medical world. Guided by a progressive, courage- ous and forward-looking staff, whose am- bitions to practice the best in modern medicine and to bridge the innumerable gaps by which the clinician is still con- founded, we have learned that there is no never and no always in medicine. During our first two years at Hahne- mann we were taught the anatomy and chemistry of the body, with the mechan- isms of normal functions. Then we learned typical disease entities, how to recognize them, what caused them and how they are produced, the pathology wrought by them and, finally, the mechanisms for combat- ing disease. Early we were given an ink- ling that there were numerous exceptions to the precepts we so diligently studied. During our clinical years these exceptions from text-book descriptions of disease entities were forcefully brought to the fore. Here the importance of an intuitive knowledge based on experience was strongly impressed on each of us. I-ls followed the progress of our patients, an 5 reviewed the copious histories which quently extended over a period of yearsfa we learned the difference between the old

Page 11 text:

TO THE CLASS OF 1951: The members of the Senior Class have reached another milestone in their professional careers and are about to join the large family of Alumni, now numbering well over 6,000, who have graduated from The Hahnemann Medical College in 103 years. As always, in a large family, the youngest child enjoys the favoritism and careful attention of the other members of the family, and the 104th class is no exception. The daily greetings of your colleagues, students and faculty, in the classrooms, wards, laboratories, clinics and library, all so routinely experienced and, perhaps, almost unnoticed, will become cherished memories. While you may not realize it now, your lives are richer for having had these friendships while your character and poise for a serious and crowded life have been passing through a formative and impressionable stage. Graduation is a momentous and joyous occasion. There is a realization of readiness to apply one's knowledge and skill in service to mankind and the community. One should not lose sight of the responsibilities of becoming a physician. The first responsibility is to acquire the knowledge and skill in rendering professional services: that is, the care of the sick. Second, there is ct real obligation to stimulate learning and to instruct those now in training in the fields of the health sciences, as you assume your place in practice, hospital staff and the public health activities of the community. The responsibility of the physician is not fully consummated when he only applies knowledge and skill to current problems, or participates in instruction to others. The full pro- fessional life must include an individual share of the effort toward the contribu- tion of newer knowledge. In effect, the physician should strive to be a splendid clinician, a good teacher and participate in research to the best of his ability. The troubled and unsettled state of affairs throughout the world today makes it impossible to predict all of the influences and events that may come to bear upon your professional lives. One can only hope that your individual plans for the future will be disturbed to a minimum. Each and every one of you has my sincere congratulations and very best wishes for a long. happy, prosperous, and fruitful life. Charles L. Brown, M.D., Dean

Page 13 text:

and the new, we learned of the gradual transition in medicine brought about by the additions to our knowledge and the greater understanding due to modem medical research. Summation of our train- ing, then, finds it based on three funda- mentals: Clj a thorough basic medical knowledge, CZD the knowledge of the value of experience, and C3j the knowl- edge of the necessity of striving to keep abreast of modern research and taking part in it. To meet our ideal of being a good physician by the adherence to these principles means that our training here has been a mere preliminary to the con- stant striving for greater knowledge in the years to come. When we entered our medical train- ing, Hahnemann was under the shadow. The less said about that era the better: but let it never be forgotten-a valuable lesson lest we again slip into the depths. Let us, rather, proudly acclaim the new Hahnemann which has become one of the leaders in medicine, rising surely to glorious heights. Some departments, of course, have made greater strides than others. Our Department of Thoracic Sur- gery, under Dr. Bailey and his associates, is unsurpassed in this country and univers- ally recognized. But the other departments are not far behind, and are slowly and constantly gaining recognition. Since our training was during the transition period, we were frequently the guinea pigs for many of the new pro- grams. Mistakes were made, tempers frayed and time was all too fleeting. But looking back, this was a glorious adven- ture on a plane we had never before en- countered. Today we are again faced with a national emergency. We can again expect numerous changes during the next few years, but we feel that we have been well prepared in many ways to face the future with courage and humility. The Editor