Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - Synapsis Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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The year 1966 was marked by turmoil. The Vietnam conflict continued to grow uncontrollably. Scanty reports from Red China told of purges of anti-Mao factions. Africa was in ferment: Nkhruma was ousted from Ghana, Rhodesia cut ties with Britain, Verwoerd was assassinated in South Africa, and 7000 Ibo tribesmen were massacred in Nigeria. India was racked by famine and rioting, DeGaul ordered NATO out of France, and floods destroyed priceless art works in Florence and Venice. In the United States, the term Black Power came into being, and more cities were faced with riot- ing. In contrast to this destruction, Medicare, over the opposition of the AMA, came into effect, and several million senior citizens began reaping its benefits. The fantastic Project Gemini was completed when Lovell and Aldrin orbited the earth 59 times, linked up with an Agena rocket, and took the historic five hour space walk. Nineteen sixty-seven, the 25th year of the atom and many of our 25th birthdays, saw the war in Viet- nam brought home to our people. Boys died and parents asked why. Peace marchers vied with civil rights demonstrators for headlines. Rioting in the cities was again sporadically repeated; the Israelis conducted a successful six-day war against the Arabs; and, as if in response to madness, the Age of Psy- chedelia blossomed. Dr. Christian Barnard and his team performed a successful heart transplant in South Africa, McNamara quit as Defense Secretary, and Carl Sandburg passed away. As we entered our fourth and last year we were able to emerge for a brief glance at our surroundings. From our clinic booth or hospital assignment we found ourselves debating political issues and reacting emotionally to live war battles on television, to the surprise withdrawal of Johnson from the presidential race, and to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The world was once again becoming a real place wherein we would have to reside. A potential riot became a personal threat. Many of us were now married, buying that new car, having that long-awaited first child, and anticipating paying debts rather than incurring them. Not without some trepidation internships were chosen and impatiently awaited. With mixed feeling of exuberance over having attained our goal, and awe at the great responsibility in- trinsic to our new profession, we prepared to leave the Cloister and enter the world All this was before the home and oflnce, the pro-rated income, and the fourteen-hour work day. Very likely you. like (jthers before you, will one day ask when time slipped away. Reflecting on it you may even pull this dusty and well-traveled pea-green volume from some forgotten shelf. Then, on skimming these pages, semblance of an answer may be found. In the end, years from now, these pictures (some wanting focus) and words (some wanting objectivity) will recall, not without melancholy, the beginning. Hopefully you may be moved in all this retrcjspeetion to chuckle to yourself.

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