PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY FOR PREMEDICAL STUDENTS*
E m
C. H. DAVIES,
WESTVIRGINIAUNIVER~ITY, MORGANTOWN, WEST V ~ G I N I A
A survey of available catalogs for about seventy of the Medical Colleges of the United States,Canada, and other countries is hut mildly encouraging to those physical chemists who believe that an elementary knowledge of the subject is essential for future physicians. It appears that physical chemistry is not only not required hut that it is rarely even being suggested as a possible elective. I n the University of Chicago catalog we read: I n a calling which is as multiform as is the practice of medicine, rigidity of curriculum is impracticable.
Indiana University says: While most applicants far matriculation have work in excess of the minimum, students should not make the mistake of thinking their eligibility for matriculation is increased by doing one or two additional years' work of low grade. Preference is given : to students with two years of collegiate work completed in a qualitatively superior w=y rather than to students with four years of collegiate work of low grade.
The attitude of many Universities is typified by the terse statement of the University of Oklahmna: Member of American Association of Medical Colleges and conforms strictly t o the rules and requirements of t@t organization.
Perhaps catalogs do not, on the surface, reveal the real conditions. In private conversation, members of the boards who pass upon premedical students, emphasize that there is a wide chasm between the published mfnimum and the real training necessary for actual admission. But even so, these boards feel hound by the admission requirements of the American Association of Medical Colleges and the Association does not require physical chemistry. At present the Medical Colleges are trying to get intelligent, able chaps with high grades rather than those who may have had this or that particular course, and we must admit that many otherwise excellent men do not study physical chemistry, while there are others who know a lot about osmosis and pH values, and yet them we would not trust to give us a dose of citrate of magnesia. Turning toward the future one can catch glimpses of progress. The
University of Louisville says: *Contribution to the symposium on "The Teaching of Physical Chemistry," held by Divisions of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry and Chemical Education, a t t h e 76th Meeting of the A. C. S., September 11, 1928, a t Swampscatt, Mass.
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The least desirable preparation for the study of medicine is comprised in the scant minimum requirements without which no Class A medical school may admit students and retain its Association rating. Students who rely upon such minimum preparation usually find themselves a t a disadvantage beside better prepared students in a medical school.
Vanderbilt University says: It is recommended that the study of chemistry be extended when possible t o include an introductory course in physical chemistry.
Washington University (St. Louis) says: A course in elementary physical chemistry is strongly recommended.
The University of Alabama says: The American Medical Association strongly advises that physical chemistry be included in premedical preparation.
West Virginia University may be taken as an illustration of the rather definite requirement of physical chemistry for the two-year premedical .. students. Curriculum Leading to the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Medicine at West Virginia Universitg In the following schedule the premedical course offered a t this University is shown. The courses marked with a star are the minimum requirement of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Those not marked are the additional courses required degree in Medicine and must be met before a student by this University for the will be admitted to the second year of the medical course.
B.S.
Courses in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences First Year-First Semester 'English 1... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . English 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 'Chemistry 1 (Inorganic).. . . . . . . . *Zoology 1.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . German or French1.. . . . . . . . . . . . Military Science.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 2 4 4
3 1 -
17 'Physics 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 *Physics2.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chemistry 15 (Quantitative).. . . . 3 Elective (Phy. Chem. Lab., 1hr.). 5 Chemistry 63 (Physical Chem.) .. 2 Military Science.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 15
Firsl Yeer-Second Semester 'English 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . English 4.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 'Chemistry 2 (Inorganic). . . . 1 *Zo6logy 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . German or French'. . . . . . . . . . . . . Military Science.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 2 4 4 3 -1 17 *Physics 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 *Physics4.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Philosophy.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 'Chemistry 36 (Organic).. . . . . . . . 5 Elective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Military Science.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
'
15
'Six hours of a modern foreiw language are required if two years' work in the language are offered for entrance credit, otherwise ten hours of college work in the language are required.
282
JO~NA oa LCHEMICAL EDUCATION
F B B ~ U A1929 ~Y.
The schedule allows 7 semester hours for electives in the sophomore year. Two hours of physical chemistry are required during this year, while about 85% of the students take an additional 1 hour of laboratory as elective. The other 6 hours of electives frequently include a Chour course in comparative anatomy and a 2-hour course in German or French. Besides this group of students we have a growing number who complete 3 or 4 years of college work before entering medicine. These 3- and 4-year students generally "major" in chemistry and, among other things, they take 4 to 8 hours of physical chemistry, often followed by a Chour course on the chemistry of colloids. It might be ideal if all premedical students could take from 5 to 10 hours of physical chemistry. But the fact is that even a 2- or 3-hour course is an unusual requirement. In such a short course it is not possible to adequately cover all the topics which will be most useful for the future physician. The author has been using his own mimeographed text which includes both the theory and also laboratory and lecture experiments. Special emphasis has been placed upon osmosis, atomic structure, radioactivity, pH, and colloids. During the past year it has been corrected, enlarged, and rearranged. Many people feel that premedical students should not be in a separate class and there are some good arguments against segregation. But a t present it is not so much a question of what physical chemistry shall be taught t~'~remedical students as it is whether any shall be taught. It is not so much a question of whether the premedical student should have his own special course but should he have any course. At some of our colleges i t may never be possible or profitable to segregate premedical students, but a t least the teacher will know which of his pupils do expect to become physicians and he will want to see that these students excel in those topics which are more essential for medicine. In the larger universities segregation of premedical students is no hardship. In our own case a t West Virginia University we have around 30 in the regular course of physical chemistry while there are about 90 in the premedical work or a ratio of about 3 to 1 in favor of the latter. In such cases it is obviously easy and natural to segregate. Finally, i t would seem that all signs point to the probability that physical chemistry will somehow be taught to our future physicians. If teachers of this subject do not themselves respond to the need, then the physical chemistry will be sandwiched into courses in general chemistry, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, and in physiological chemistry. If we believe that physical chemistry is something definite, tangible, a branch worthy of its own individual recognition, then we must keep awake to the needs of the medical profession. Those of us who spend our lives on this branch well know that it is so big and so intricate that no one man has
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time or energy to follow all its many ramifications. How, then, can one hope that the teachers of general chemistry, organic, or physiological chemistry will be able or willing to take time and energy to adequately present the physical chemistry needed by their students? If physical chemistry were required of all premedical students in America, it would mean more than a doubling of the present enrolment in this snbject. The premedical student would simply be substituting the 2 or 3 hours of physical chemistry for some of his present electives. Each of us knows of some of these electives, typified by certain foreign students who elect to mntinue the study of their mother tongue not because they learn anything new but because they need the hours. Perhaps some of us may now or in the future have the opportunity to help revamp the requirements of the American Association of Medical Colleges. If so, is it too much to hope that physical chemistry may be given a place among the definite requirements of premedical students? In the meantime each one can, in his own college, direct attention to the f a d that there is a branch of chemistry known as physical chemistry and that its study will be profitable to anyone who expects to become a physician.
