Jackson Advocate

Something About A Four Year Medical School For Mississippi

The intelligent and thinking Negro Citizens of Mississippi, in all sections of the state cannot help but be in full favor and accord with the efforts to secure the establishment of a full four year state supported Medical School located in the city of Jackson. If for no other reason than for the certain fact that the campaign for the school will be bound to focus attention upon and highlight the fact that there is not even a standard pre-medical school in the entire state for Negroes, to say nothing about any kind of a medical college. The obvious conclusion being that the newly proposed four-year medical school, although supported out of the tax money of the state contributed to by all its citizens, will be for the exclusive training of white students.

In listening to the speeches over the radio, and reading the press releases, the facts as brought out in support of the need for the new four year school, showing that of a white population of one and a quarter million people in the state there are only a little over one thousand white doctors, many of whom are of far advanced age, with a resultant shortening period of practice as well as life expectancy does present an alarming condition, both as respects the present and with respects to the future opportunities of the white citizens of the state to obtain competent and adequate medical care and attention.

Another alarming aspect of the situation as effects the white population in its opportunities for competent and adequate medical care and attention is the further fact being brought out in the campaign for the school that even though white students who so desire may obtain standard pre-medical training in state schools, as well as two years of medical education at the University of Mississippi, the fact that such students must go outside the state to complete their medical education, and after completing their medical education do their internship in hospitals outside the state, is causing the state to lose the service of many who have arisen, and who will arise to eminence in the profession, who choose to practice outside the state after completing their medical education and internship outside the state.

As alarming as the situation appears as affects the white population of the state, with respects to both present and future. take a look now, at the situation as it affects the Negro population of the state.

In population approximately the equal of the white people of the state there are at present ONLY FIFTY-TWO Negro Doctors in Mississippi, proportionately affected with respects to their ability to continue to practice because of age and life expectancy. Concentrated in the large cities of the state the only fifty-two Negroes doctors leaves many area of many square miles, and many towns and villages and communities where there is not a Negro doctor within fifty miles, and with the white doctors having their hands full with the needs of the white people how much more alarming is the conditions in the state as regards the Negro population with its fifty-two doctors as compared with that of the white population with its one thousand and sixty.

The same factors that contribute to the fact that there are only one thousand and sixty white doctors in the state contributes with equal if not greater force to the fact that there is not a standard premedical course, to say nothing of a medical course, available for Negroes anywhere in the state. Negro students must go outside the state for standard pre-medical training. for medical education, and internship.

Negro citizens of the state are in full accord with the efforts to establish the full four year medical college in Jackson, along with which they hope that provisions will at least be made for pre-medical education for Negro Students, in order to encourage a large number of the Negro youths of the state to enter the medical profession in the hope that the almost indescribable conditions as affects the opportunities of the Negro Population for medical care and attention may at least present a more encouraging and hopeful future.