458 STUDENTS’ GUIDE

Government medical officers are permitted privategeneral practice in the rural areas ; the value of thisvaries considerably and may exceed 21000 a year, butwhere the net receipts fall below 2200 a year an allow-ance is paid up to that figure. In other areas no privatepractice is allowed and an allowance of 2200 a yearis paid in lieu. Medical superintendents and certainspecialist officers are allowed consultant practice, the cashvalue of which is not great.The duties of government medical officers include the

supervision of general and special hospitals, Africanclinics and dispensaries, and attendance on police andcertain other officers of the Federal and Territorialgovernments who are entitled to free medical attention,boarders in government schools, and prisoners. Vacanciesare normally advertised but, where possible, the moresenior posts are filled by promotion within the services.Further details may be obtained from the secretary tothe High Commissioner for Rhodesia and Nyasaland,429, Strand, London, W.C.2.

MEDICAL MISSIONARY SERVICE

CHRISTIAN medical men and women who wish to offertheir services where the need is greatest will find oppor-tunities in medical missionary work. There are universitymedical schools, central and rural hospitals, and manyopportunities for public-health work and research.Christian missions played a major part in giving China amodern medical profession. In India and Pakistan theyhave helped to maintain high ethical and professionalstandards, and have specialised in nursing and medicaleducation. In Africa and other of the less-developedregions they have pioneered rural health services andthe training of subordinate staff. In many parts of theworld the work is becoming integrated with the govern-ment services though still maintaining its identity. Forundergraduates pledged to this service there are hostels inLondon and Edinburgh. After qualification, a period ofeighteen months or two years in resident appointmentsis advised for all and also special diplomas or higherdegrees for some. Under certain circumstances exemp-tion is given from national service. Special missionarytraining is required by some societies. Service is for termsof from eighteen months to five years, according to thecountry and climate ; there are opportunities for post-graduate study during furloughs. Offers for life serviceare preferred, but short terms are considered. Salary ison a missionary subsistence basis with allowances, freepassages and quarters, and pension provision. Thereare schools for missionaries’ children at home and insome of the fields. Applications from students or qualifiedmen and women should be made either to the secretaryof one of the denominational or interdenominationalmissionary societies, or through the local branch of theStudent Christian Movement or the Intervarsity Fellow-ship, or to the Chairman, Medical Advisory Board of theConference of British Missionary Societies, EdinburghHouse, 2, Eaton Gate, London, S.W.I.

THE MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

THE Medical Research Council, originally establishedin 1913 as the Medical Research Committee, is appointedto administer the funds provided annually by Parliamentfor the promotion of research in medical science. Thecouncil is under the general direction of the Committeeof Privy Council for Medical Research, of which theLord President, as chairman, is the minister responsibleto Parliament.The members of the council are appointed by the

Committee of Privy Council for a period of four years.There are 12 members in all ; 9 are chosen for theirscientific qualifications, and the remaining 3 are laymembers, one of whom must be a member of theHouse of Lords and one a member of the House ofCommons.The council is not constitutionally a Government

department ; its staff are selected and appointed by thecouncil itself and are not Civil Servants. The positionwhich the council occupies enables it to foster effectiverelations between science and the State, and its activitiesin medical research are unrestricted by territorial or

departmental limitations of function. The council main-

tains close touch with those Government departmentsresponsible for public health ; it is able to collabo-rate freely in subjects of common interest with itssister research organisations, the Department of Scientificand Industrial Research and the Agricultural ResearchCouncil, and to have direct relations with cognateorganisations in other countries. In promoting clinicalresearch the council is advised by the Clinical ResearchBoard, appointed in consultation with the health depart-ments. A joint committee of the council and the ColonialOffice advises upon research on health problems in thetropics.The council’s administrative headquarters are at

38, Old Queen Street, Westminster, London, S.W.l, andthe scientific staff are housed in more than 50 establish-ments located mainly in hospitals and universitiesthroughout Great Britain. The council also maintainslaboratories in the Gambia, Uganda, and Jamaica.The council’s central research establishment, the

National Institute for Medical Research, has separatedivisions of biochemistry, organic chemistry, chemo-therapy, bacterial chemistry, physiology and pharmaco-logy, human physiology, experimental biology, bacterio-logy and virus research, physical chemistry, biophysicsand optics, and biological standards. The interests of theindependent research units range from fundamentallaboratory subjects, such as biophysics, to various aspectsof clinical research and of social and industrial medicine.The council’s annual report, published by H.M. StationeryOffice, gives a summary of the work in progress.The close association of most of the council’s establish-

ments with hospitals and universities is valuable frommany points of view, especially in the opportunity itprovides for collaboration in joint schemes of research.Senior members of the council’s staff are frequentlygiven the status of honorary physicians of the hospitalsin which their units are situated, while members of unitsaccommodated in university departments are in manycases given honorary university appointments andparticipate to a limited extent in teaching. The council’stotal scientific staff numbers nearly 500, of whom over athird are medically qualified. Its research establish-ments vary widely in size. The largest is the NationalInstitute for Medical Research at Mill Hill, but theaverage research unit consists of from 5 to 10 scientificworkers with a number of technical and clericalassistants.The aim of the council is to provide the opportunity

for a career equivalent to that offered in the universitiesto men and women of equal ability and experience.The council’s salary scales for scientific appointmentsare based on this principle ; and although there is nocommon scale for all the universities in the UnitedKingdom, the council’s salary grades correspond approxi-mately to the ranks of professor, reader, seniorlecturer, lecturer, and demonstrator. Thus, the salaryof a director of one of the council’s clinical units is

equivalent to that of a whole-time professor of medicinewith an honorary contract as a consultant in the NationalHealth Service. The salary of a non-clinical directorwould normally be equivalent to that of a major non-clinical or purely scientific chair. Apart from directors,there are other posts in the council’s larger establish-ments, and particularly at the National Institute forMedical Research, which carry remuneration at or nearthe professorial level. For the most part, salaries arenot fixed in relation to particular posts but rather withreference to the qualifications, experience, and responsi-bilities of the individuals. Promotion to a higher grademay be awarded on such grounds without change ofpost.New appointments to the scientific staff, except in the

case of senior posts, are normally made for definiteperiods or are subject to review at intervals. Later,the possibility of a permanent career with the councilis considered*; and in suitable cases, when an adequatedegree of seniority has been attained, the council mayexpress its intention of continuing employment untilthe normal retiring age of sixty has been reached, withthe possibility of extension to sixty-five. Superannuationprovision-normally under the Federated Superannuation System for Universities-is made for all appoint-

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ments of substantial duration.

459THE BRITISH MEDICAL STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

THE PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORY SERVICE

On behalf of the Ministry of Health, the counciladministers the Public Health Laboratory Service, whichwas originally set up as an emergency service in 1939and has since become permanent. There are over 60

separate laboratories in England and Wales. In additionto their routine duties, members of the staff of theservice, whose salary scales are normally equated withthose of the National Health Service, undertake researchin bacteriology and epidemiology. The service alsomaintains a number of special laboratories which actas reference centres for particular infections, and areengaged largely in research.A booklet giving details of the opportunities for

appointment to the council’s scientific staff is available onapplication to the secretary, Medical Research Council,38, Old Queen Street, Westminster, London, S.W.I.

MEDICAL PRACTICES ADVISORY BUREAU

WHEN the National Health Service Act came intoforce, the traditional procedure for entry into generalpractice was considerably modified-particularly by theabolition of the sale and purchase of goodwill. It soonbecame apparent that there would be a need for somecentral source of information which could give advice topractitioners seeking openings, to those desiring to trans-fer from one area to another, and to those seeking to setup in single-handed practice. It was felt that advisoryfunctions of this kind should be undertaken by a bodywhich was not linked directly or indirectly with centralor local government but whose status and resources weresuch as would enable it to establish and maintaineffective liaison with executive councils, local medicalcommittees, and the Medical Practices Committee, andat the same time to command the confidence of theprofession. To meet this need the Medical PracticesAdvisory Bureau was established at the end of 1948 as adepartment of the British Medical Association, under thedirection of a member of the medical staff of theassociation.The functions of the bureau are twofold : firstly, to

maintain an information service about openings in thevarious fields of medical practice and to introducepartners, assistants, and locums ; and, secondly, toadvise on individual and personal problems associatedwith entry into and the conduct of medical practice. Agreat deal of advice is sought on the various forms of con-tracts and agreements between practitioners. Althoughit is not the function of the bureau to give legal advice,there are many questions concerning partnerships andassistantships where the advice of a doctor with experienceis needed, as well as that of a lawyer. All doctors arewelcome to seek the advice of the Bureau, at B.M.A.House, Tavistock Square, London, W.C.1, or any of itsbranch offices. Those who are not members of theB.M.A. are required to pay nominal charges for theagency services.

THE BRITISH MEDICAL STUDENTS’ASSOCIATION

This association was founded in 1942 and its member-ship now includes over 90 % of the medical students ofthe country. It is purely a professional organisation,providing a means of communication between thestudents in the different universities and hospitals andalso between British students and those in other countries.It presents the medical students’ viewpoint to themedical profession, to Government departments, and toother interested bodies. The organisation of the associa-tion depends on an annual general meeting, at whichan executive committee is elected, and on four regionalcouncils. Both clinical and preclinical conferences arearranged from time to time and these are appreciatednot only for their academic interest but also for theopportunities which they provide for meeting fellowstudents from the different medical schools. Localactivities of the constituent organisations of the associa-tion include lectures, visits, discussions, and the showingof films from the B.M.A. and other film libraries. Amongstits publications are the British Medical Students’ Journalwhich appears once a term, the B.M.S.A. Diary, and an

annual list of vacation appointments for those membersrequiring work in hospitals during vacations.The annual general meeting was held at B.M.A. House,

London, last November, and Sir Cecil Wakeley, F.R.C.S.,was elected honorary president for the year. The meetingwas addressed by the Minister of Health, the Rt. Hon.lain Macleod, who said he had watched with interest theresponsible approach of the B.M.S.A. to the Medical Act,1950. He invited the association to submit to him itsconsidered views on the Act and to make suggestionsfor the future. The views of students in all medicalschools in Great Britain and Northern Ireland weresought and a document was submitted to the Minister inApril, 1955. The Minister’s reply has indicated theefforts which are being made to help the preregistrationarrangements to work smoothly and has expressedMr. Macleod’s personal interest in the association’s viewson matters which are of concern and interest to him. TheMinister’s address and the subsequent correspondenceare being published in this year’s issues of the BritishMedical Students’ Journal. The Minister’s address andthe document submitted by the B.M.S.A. have been sentfor information to the General Medical Council and tothe Licensing Bodies in Great Britain and NorthernIreland.The B.M.S.A. is keenly interested in the grants problems

of its members and cases of hardship are investigated.The association is hopeful that local education authoritieswill respond to the encouragement recently given by theMinister of Education who urged that maintenanceallowances be raised to the level of those granted by theMinistry of Education. There has been wide divergencein the amounts paid by different local authorities tostudents whose needs are similar. Some authorities donot yet pay an extra maintenance allowance to clinicalstudents to cover the extra time they necessarily spendat hospital over and above the length of the academic year.The association is represented on the medical students

and newly qualified practitioners subcommittee of theB.M.A. and on the undergraduate education committeesof the College of General Practitioners. The associationmaintains its close interest in the British Student Tuber-culosis Foundation of which it is a sponsoring body. Inthe field of sickness and other insurance the associationhas made arrangements with an insurance agency, setup by the profession for its own guidance, for the develop-ment of a special section to advise medical students.The B.M.S.A. is a founder member of the International

Federation of Medical Student Associations whosemembership now includes most of the countries ofwestern Europe as well as Yugoslavia and Turkey. TheB.M.S.A. is the chairman-nation of the I.F.M.S.A. forthe second time since the federation was formed fouryears ago. The I.F.M.S.A. is developing successfully andis recognised by the World Medical Association and byUNESCO. The general assembly of the I.F.M.S.A. isheld annually usually at the same time and placeas that of the W.M.A. The B.M.S.A. does all itcan to facilitate visits by British students to foreignhospitals and to clinical and preclinical courses abroad.Courses have been held this year in Holland, Denmark,Sweden, and Yugoslavia. The B.M.S.A. makes arrange-ments for many foreign students to visit hospitals in thiscountry and the number of applicants increases yearly.The newly established Student Travel Fund began tofunction this year and nine scholarships to a total valueof 250 were awarded to assist students who had madeplans to attend courses and hospitals abroad. It is hopedthat the fund will function on an increasingly large scaleeach year to the direct benefit of individual students.The association sent a delegation to the InternationalMedical Film Festival held in Brussels in February.The generosity of the donors whose gifts make possiblethe international activities of the B.M.S.A. is greatlyappreciated.A national clinical conference is held annually for

British students, and Glasgow University was host tothe very successful conference held there in January.This year’s annual general meeting will be held inSt. Andrew’s on Nov. 12-14 and it is hoped that allmember schools will send full delegations. Observersfrom the four non-member schools will be very welcome.The honorary president-elect for the year 1955-56 is