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AUGUST 27, 1927.

STUDENTS’ GUIDE—SESSION 1927-1928.GENERAL COUNCIL OF MEDICAL EDUCA-

TION AND REGISTRATION OF THEUNITED KINGDOM.

POWERS, DUTIES, AND CONSTITUTION.

THE General Council of Medical Education andRegistration of the United Kingdom is, first, a

registering body : no person, even though his qualifica-tions have been obtained by examination, is a legallyqualified medical practitioner until his name appearson the Medical Register. Secondly, it is a standardis-ing body, ensuring that medical education reaches anefficient standard by scientific examination. Thirdly,it is a penal and disciplinary body, having power toremove from the Register any practitioner convictedof felony or misdemeanour or adjudged guilty ofprofessional misconduct. Fourthly, to the Council iscommitted the codification of pharmaceutical remedies.The duties of the Council are thus primarily of apublic nature, and its construction shows its fitnessfor its fourfold responsibilities.The Council consists of 38 members, of whom all

but 11 are official representatives of some corporatebody. Five members are chosen by the Crown on theadvice of the Privy Council, and six others are electedby the members of the medical profession as DirectRepresentatives. The Crown members need not bemedical men and one layman now sits on the Council.Three members are appointed for dental business bythe Privy Council under the Dentists Act, 1921,under which the powers and duties of the GeneralMedical Council with regard to the keeping of theDentists Register and the administration of theDentists Acts were largely transferred to the DentalBoard of the United Kingdom.

THE EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM.

Professional Education.-The course of professionalstudy after registration occupies at least five years.The Final Examination in Medicine, Surgery, andMidwifery must not be passed before the close of thefifth academic year of medical study.

Regulations as to Registration of Medical Students.Before registration every candidate should produce

evidence that he has attained the age of 17 years.The minimum standard of General Educationrequired is that of University matriculation or

entrance examination in the Faculties of Arts or PureScience. In other Faculties the examination must beof the standard prescribed in Regulation 2 below.Before registration as a student every applicantshould be required to have passed a recognisedexamination in general education, and, in additionthereto, an examination, theoretical and practical,in elementary physics and elementary chemistryconducted or recognised by a licensing body.An approved course of instruction in elementary

biology at a secondary school or other teachinginstitution recognised by a licensing body may admita student to the professional examination in elementarybiology upon registration as a medical student.The candidate commencing medical study should

apply to the registrar of the division of Great Britainand Ireland in which he is residing, according to aprescribed form, copies of which may be had onapplication to the several licensing bodies, medicalschools, and hospitals, or at the offices of the Council ;and should produce proof that he or she has fulfilledthe first three conditions.

The Maintenance of the Register of Medical Students.1. The Education Committee prepares and issues

from time to time a list of examining bodies whoseaxaminations in general education fulfil the conditionsof, and are specially recognised by, the Council. ’

2. The Council has recognised thb undernoteduniversity examinations which are conducted inGreat Britain and admit to the Faculties of Artsor Pure Science, or to other Faculties, subject tothe conditions specified below :-Birmingham University, Matriculation Examination.

Bristol University, Matriculation Examination. CambridgeUniversity, Previous Examination. Durham University,Matriculation Examination. Leeds University, MatriculationExamination. Liverpool University, Matriculation Examina-tion. London University, Matriculation Examination.Manchester, Victoria University, Matriculation Examination.Oxford University, Responsions. Scotland, Universities of,Entrance or Preliminary Examination. Sheffield University,Matriculation Examination. Wales, University of, Matricu-lation Examination.

The condition prescribed by the Council in Facultiesother than Arts or Pure Science is that :-The certificate shall bear evidence that the candidate

has passed in the following subjects, viz. : (a) English.(b) Mathematics, Elementary. (c) A language other thanEnglish. (d) A fourth subject, as defined in the regulationsof the particular Examination, to be chosen from thesubjoined list, viz. : History, Geography, Physical Science,Natural Science ; Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, German,or other language accepted by the University for the purposeof matriculation or entrance.

3. Subject to the condition prescribed above(Section 2), the Council will recognise those of theexaminations conducted by recognised authoritiesin Great Britain which are accepted by any one ormore of the above-named Universities as equivalent(under prescribed conditions as to " credits " or" grades "), for purposes of Entrance or Matriculation,to an Examination named in the preceding list(Section 2). Such Examinations are :-

Bristol University : High School Certificate Examination ;Schools Certificate Examination. Cambridge Local Examina-tions Syndicate : Higher School Certificate Examination ;School Certificate Examination. Central Welsh ExaminationBoard : Higher Certificate Examination; School CertificateExamination. Durham University: Higher CertificateExamination; School Certificate Examination. LondonUniversity : Higher School Certificate Examination ;General School Examination. Northern Universities JointMatriculation Board : Higher Certificate Examination ;School Certificate Examination. Oxford and CambridgeSchools Examination Board : Higher Certificate Examina-tion ; School Certificate Examination. Oxford Delegacyfor Local Examinations : Higher School Certificate Examina-tion ; School Certificate Examination. Scottish EducationDepartment: Leaving Certificate Examination.

4. The Council will continue to recognise certainExaminations conducted by Educational Bodies, otherthan those (mentioned in Section 3) whose Examina-tions are accepted by any one or more of the Univer-sities of Great Britain. Recognition will not beextended under this Section to any Examinationunless the Council is satisfied (a) that in scope andstandard it is equivalent to a recognised Matriculationor Entrance Examination of a University of GreatBritain, (b) that it fulfils the condition prescribed bythe Council (Section 2), and (c) that the Examinationhas been completed at not more than two sittings.Such Examinations are :-The College of Preceptors (England) : Senior Certificate.

The Educational Institute of Scotland : Preliminary MedicalCertificate.

5. Subject to the prescribed condition (Section 2),the Council will recognise the Entrance Examinationto the School of Physic of the University of Dublin,and the Matriculation or Entrance Examinations ofthe National University of Ireland, the Queen’sUniversity of Belfast, the Irish Royal Colleges ofPhysicians and Surgeons ; and also the LeavingCertificate of the Intermediate Education Board ofthe Irish Free State, the Senior Grade LeavingCertificate of the Ministry of Education of NorthernIreland, and all examinations accepted by any oneor more of the Universities of Great Britain or Ireland

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as equivalent, for purposes of entrance or matricula-tion, to the above-named University Examinations.

6. Subject to the prescribed condition (Section’ 2),the Council will recognise all Examinations of Colonialor Foreign Universities which are accepted by any oneor more of the Universities of Great Britain as

equivalent, for purposes of entrance or matriculation,to an examination named in the list of examinationsrecognised by the Council (Section 2).

7. The Council will recognise the Final Examinationsfor Degrees in Arts or Science of any University ofGreat Britain or Ireland or of the British Dominions.

8. The registration of medical students shall beplaced under the charge of the Branch Registrars.

9. Each of the Branch Registrars shall keep aregister of medical students.

10. The Branch Registrar shall enter the student’sname and particulars in the Students Register, andgive him a certificate of such registration.

11. Each of the Branch Registrars shall supply tothe several licensing bodies, medical schools, andhospitals, in that part of Great Britain or Irelandof which he is Registrar, blank forms of applicationfor the registration of medical students.

12. A copy of the Medical Students Register pre-pared by each of the Branch Registrars shall betransmitted, on or before Dec., 31st in each year, tothe Registrar of the General Council, who will distri-bute the list to the licensing bodies, medical schools,and hospitals.

All applications for special exceptions to theforegoing regulations as to registration shall beaddressed to the Registrar of the General Council,and shall be decided by authority of the EducationCommittee, who shall report thereon to the Council.

The Medical Schools and Colleges.The Universities, including Colleges and

Medical Schools, and Schools of Medicine at whichMedical Study may be commenced in the UnitedKingdom are set out seriatim in the following pages.

MEDICAL REGISTRATION IN IRELAND.Within the past few months the problem of medical

registration in the Irish Free State, which had givenrise to some anxiety during the past two years, hasbeen satisfactorily settled. By agreement betweenthe Governments of Great Britain, of the Irish FreeState, and of Northern Ireland-since confirmedby legislature at Westminster and Dublin-the powersand duties of the General Council of Medical Registra-tion and Education are to continue as heretofore inrespect of qualifying bodies in the Irish Free State,and of medical practitioners qualified in the IrishFree State. Side by side with this a Medical Councilis to be set up in the Irish Free State with theduty of establishing and controlling a Registerfor the Irish Free State. All practitionerswhose names are on the General Register at the imoment, whose address therein is given as being inthe Irish Free State, will in the first instance beentered on the Irish Free State Register ; practitionerswhose names are on the General Register, but whoare resident outside the Irish Free State, will also beregistered if they apply within one month before theestablishment of the Register. After the establishmentof the Register practitioners whose names are on theGeneral Register, and persons who pass a qualifyingexamination in the Irish Free State, will be registeredon payment of the prescribed fee. The Irish FreeState Medical Council will have, over those whosenames are on the Irish Free State Register, the samedisciplinary powers as are possessed by the GeneralCouncil over those whose names are on the GeneralRegister. To possess the privileges of a qualifiedpractitioner in the Irish Free State it will be necessaryto be registered in the Irish Free State Register.The net result of the change in the law as regards

the practitioner qualifying in the Irish Free Statein the future is that : (1) If he intends to practiseonly in the Irish Free State he need only register inthe Irish Free State Register; (2) if he intends topractise in Great Britain he will register in the

General Register ; and (3) if he is in doubt where hewill practise he will register in both Registers. Hewill, as he registers in one Register, or in both Registers,put himself under the disciplinary control of the one ’Council or of both Councils. No practical incon-venience is caused, and practitioners qualified inthe Irish Free State in future will not find themselvesdeprived of any of the privileges or rights enjoyed bytheir predecessors.THE DENTAL BOARD OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

Anyone who is on the Medical Register is entitled topractise as a dentist, although he cannot register assuch without degree or licence in dentistry ; but itis a distinct advantage to take a special dentalqualification, otherwise few dental appointments at.general or special hospitals or dispensaries are available.Under the Dentists Act, 1921, the powers and

duties of the General Medical Council under theDentists Act, 1878, and under the Medical Act, 1886,which related to the keeping of the Dentists Register-and the administration of the Dentists Acts werelargely transferred to the then newly-constitutedDental Board of the United Kingdom. The regis-tration of dental students at the commencement oftheir dental studies, and the right of erasure of a.

name from the Dentists Register, remain with theCouncil, but the duty of inquiring into disciplinarycases rests with the Board, upon whose recommenda-tions the Council acts.The Dental Board consists of a chairman and 12

members. The chairman is appointed by the PrivyCouncil. Other members of the Board are appointedby the Minister of Health, the Scottish Board ofHealth, the Governor-General of Northern Ireland,the General Medical Council (3), Direct Vote of thequalified dentists practising in England and Wales,.Scotland, and Ireland (3), Direct Representatives byregistered dentists not being qualified dentists (2).

Registration of Dental Students.The General Medical Council’s Regulations in regard

to the registration of dental students which came intoforce on Jan. lst, 1923, provide that the registration ofdental students shall be carried on at the GeneralMedical Council Office in London, in the same manneras that of medical students, and be subject to thesame regulations as regards age and preliminaryexaminations ; but in the case of dental students.professional study may commence either at a recog-nised dental hospital or school, or by pupilage witha registered dental practitioner.

Candidates for a diploma in dental surgery shouldproduce certificates of having been engaged for atleast four years in professional studies, and of havingreceived during 24 calendar months instruction indental mechanics. It is recommended that instruc-tion in dental mechanics be taken at a recogniseddental hospital and school. If any part of suchinstruction be taken by the candidate as a pupitwith a registered dental practitioner, the time requiredto be devoted to it shall be at least twice the timerequired for the corresponding instruction taken at adental school. Two years’ bona-fide apprenticeshipwith a registered dental practitioner, after registrationas a dental student, may be counted as one of thefour years of professional study. The necessaryinstruction in dental mechanics, or any part of itmay be taken by the dental student either before orafter his registration as a student. When a studentcan show evidence of regular pupilage in dentalmechanics to a registered dental practitioner, priorto the passing of the prescribed preliminary andscientific examinations, he may be allowed to antedatehis registration for a period not exceeding one yearprior to the passing of these examinations.

THE OFFICES.The address of the Registrar, to whom further

communications should be addressed, is as follows :The Registrar of the General Medical Council,44, Hallam-street, Portland-place, London, W. 1,The offices of the Dental Board are adjoining.