Cavanagh, Denis

English

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The Linacre QuarterlyVolume 33 | Number 4 Article 10November 1966A New BroomDenis CavanaghFollow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnqRecommended CitationCavanagh, Denis (1966) "A New Broom," The Linacre Quarterly: Vol. 33 : No. 4 , Article 10.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnq/vol33/iss4/10A New Broom DENIS CAVANAGH, M.D. A Catholic medical school need not be extensive but it must be good. I ts standing in the academic world rig�tly �r wrongly, will inevitabl; be 1dent1fied with the Church. For this reason, Catholic medical schools should either seriously pur­sue excellence or retire from the field of medical education. There is no disgrace in retirement and such a course is certainly preferable to a persistent display of academic inadequacy. The pursuit of excellence should be the aim of all faculty members but more especially it should be the aim of all Catholic faculty mem­bers. Because of the nature of his work can there be any doubt that the. burden of responsibility is es­pecially heavy for the obstetrician­gynecologist? It would be comforting to believe that because of the worthy nature of our cause a crop of geniuses would arise among us and carry us t? success with much inspiration and little work. It is more practical, however, to acknowledge that we �re �ot particularly bright and that 1t will take exceptional industry and · teamwork to win the recognitionand respect of those who do not share our views. If our medicalstandards are high, people will be more likely to listen to our views on medical moral problems. If our medical standards are low why should they listen? We must make our points in the field of medicine where we and our antagonists speak a common language, for with-328out a common language tl much point in propoundir lie morals to non-Cathol speaking Swahili to Eskirr 0re is as Catho­s as in As the newly appointed '.lairman of the department of C 1ecology and Obstetrics I can, in =viewing our position, perhaps out 1e issues and approaches that will we some wider application in th field of medical education. The [ partment of Gynecology and 01 etrics at Saint Louis University vas once a first class department 1d it can be so again. This will ike team­work involving both fu time and voluntary faculty. A g 1t deal is expected of a Chairmar md some­times perhaps a little o much. Certainly, the Chairmar ,f an effec­tive Department of Gy1 ology and Obstetrics in this day a .{ age must be full time. This is ot because full time men are be 'r teachers but because the manv •ment of a modern department a/ the main­tenance of a successful celationsliip with other medical sc-oool depart­ments is a competitiv'.: job which requires the maximum time avail­able. Meetings are es,n1tial to th e efficient running of ,wy organiza­tion but they are time consuming. Very often one may go to a meeting and after three hours come away feeling that nothing has been ac­complished; on the other hand so competitive is the nature of our academic environment that if one did not attend he may find l�ter that he is well on the way to losmg ten teachjng beds. LINACRE QUARTERLY I believe that many men in this department on a full time basis could do just as well as I can. One great advantage which I have over them, however, is that in coming from the University of Miami I am a "prophet from a foreign land." This factor alone will often create two ingredients for success. ( l) The stranger is more likely to be able to convince the administration of the need for a sizeable increase in budget. (It is a sobering thought that although money may not be everything we can do little without it.) (2) People expect and accept change from the stranger which they would not accept from a local man (in this respect one is appar­ently accorded the hearing due an expert witness). Now let us consider full time faculty. The full ti�e faculty is essential to pro-:ide round-the-clock responsibility on a "department first" basis. The full time man �uld be suffi�iently recompensed, )l'imarily to meet his family respon­sibilities and secondarily so that he s not become a competitor to � in private practice. Indeed, by ng available for consultation and tient referral he should provide pport to the members of the vol­tary faculty. Whether from a ral, medical or legal point of view advantages of this must be ap­ent. Without a full time staff Y Chairman will rapidly become very ineffective floor manager. Now what of the part to be played the voluntary faculty? Often voluntary faculty member is un­ain of the part he should play will manifest his uncertainty by MBER, 1966 a variety of attitwies, ranging from the vocal critic tC' the snrinking violet. Often he hides his light under a bushel, feel;ng secretly that he has little to offer. Let me assure you that the voluntary faculty mem­ber brings with him certain aspects of student and resident education which no full time man could ever appreciate. The voluntary faculty member stands always with the pa­tient. Despite the glamor of teach­ing and resea:r:ch, we must never lose sight of the fact that the most important duty which we have is patient care. This is why the well conducted departmental conference is so important. It brings out the views of all departmental members from the most erudite super-special­ist to the most conservative practis­ing physician. Too often the full time man in his scientific endeavors will forget the practical problems involved in the successful manage­ment of the total patient. No faculty should be all full time or all volun­teer. The proper blend, as with good whiskey, will produce optimum results. The problems which we must face are present in all areas. They are associated with students, residents, research and postgraduate education. For the solution to these problems I think we have to change our course. Let us try a new approach- or, perhaps I should say, let us renew our faith in the old approach. (a) Students - Let us interest them in our discipline in the freshman year. Let us meet them early in their career and make them inter­ested in our specialty. Let us point out to them that even in a normal329 delivery there ; , great satisfaction. After all, the :::cmbined life expec­tancy for a healthy mother and baby is about 120 years. Surely this is the epitomy of professional reward? (b) Residents - Our aim here is obviously to attract American grad­uates to our residency program. I am probably the only man present who cannot be accused of unfair bias in this respect, and I think it is time that somebody made this statement on standards. No matter how willing, the resident with a language difficulty will invariably encounter problems with patients, students and colleagues. Residents must be taught that research, teach­ing and patient care are inseparable. No resident should ever leave a program with the feeling that he has merely been a "warm body." Let us face the fact that most good residents are resident-referred. Once a strong residency teaching program is established not only wifl this de­partment benefit but all of the hos­pitals in the group will benefit. (c) Research - Clinical ,researchcan be carried out by a voluntaryfaculty member. The prerequisites for success are natural curiosity, ac­curacy in reporting and the ability to maintain complete objectivity in the interpretation of results. Basic research requires the pres­ence of well-trained laboratory per­sonnel. Each director of a basic science section of a clinical depart­ment should receive the full co­operation of the clinical faculty in carrying out his work. Without adequate laboratory support the best 330 organized clinical depa achieve no significant ,. (d) Postgraduate Educe.( l) Conferences - 'v\for first-class departmc ences of an interdiscipl: with participation of a physicians irrespective c pital affiliation or of ,, agree with us or not. (2) Extramural Acacity - It must be appare· time a man in this depa distinction in anything of us -whether it is l being president of a le society or being on a sc gram at a national medi If the man does a go helps all of us. This reputation of an institut and we must work to u our collective action. I member wants to preps tific paper, it is my duty I can. We must oper, principle that if one of all fail, and if one succ• succeed. ,nt will 1ces. .ust aim confer-, nature 1terested 1eir hos­her they ic Activ-.mt every ent gains nelps all Yirtue of medical tific pro­meeting. job this how the 1 is built old it by , faculty a scien­' help all · on the fails we ls we all At first people will be 1 .prised at seeing a man from this c. partment on a national program bui ,oon they will come to expect it an( then we will know we have won oack our rightful place in acaderri : society. No longer will we be regarded as a paper department and when we dissent on a matter of p< ,licy at a meeting of a national org,l11ization, cognizance will be taken of our stand. When our capability is re_c­ognized our bargaining power will be much increased. Having obtained recognition then let us not conceal our views, let's advertize them. LINACRE QUARTERLY This was the Howard Marion Sims School of Medicine. This was the school where Doisy isolated the first estrogen. How much better could our tradition be? Yet, T. H. Huxley has pointed out, "the rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher." Dr. Cavanagh is Professm and Chairman, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, St. Louis University School of Medicine. He was formerly Professor of Obstetrics­Gynecology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami. He is a graduate of the University of Glasgow, 1952. This paper is based on an address to the Faculty of the Dept. of Gynecology and Obstetrics, St. Louis University School of Medicine in May of this year. Remember rnmeone with a subscription to THE LINACRE QUARTERLY as a Christ­mas gift. A remembrance of lasting fJa/ue. A gift note will be sent in your name. NOVEMBER, 1966 331 

A New Broom

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A New Broom

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