Pre-Med Prescription

Like bumper cars at an amusement park, 700-odd pre-medical students needlessly knock each other out every year. Uncertain of medical requirements, they compete intensely in upper-level science courses, to be sure they qualify. The College administration has shown its tacit disapproval of such over-concentration by not setting up a special pre-medical field. But it has never adequately advised pre-meds of scientific requirements, or the advantages of a liberal arts background, and as a result, the pointless duplication of medical school courses in the College has continued.

Last summer, Eliot House's Master-on-leave John Finley, who had long sought a pre-medical tutor in his House, went out and found one. He invited a young research doctor at a Boston hospital to move into Eliot as a resident tutor. The plan has been so successful that it is now time for the other Houses to follow this lead.

Like Eliot's new doctor, pre-med tutors in the other Houses would act only in advisory capacities. They would eat in the Houses and hold regular office hours at which they would counsel undergraduates on both College programs and med school applications. For these services, they would receive room and limited board.

Since the Houses are already overcrowded, providing those rooms might prove an obstacle. But Eliot has shown that space can be found. While Eliot had less trouble in finding a tutor than in providing room, it may be difficult to find six other qualified research fellows who would want to assume tutorial responsibilities. But with the inducement of room and board, research fellows interested in teaching should welcome the opportunity to affiliate with Harvard. Fortunately, in addition to Harvard Medical School, Boston has many reputable hospitals from which to seek young doctors.

Until this year, the College had a pre-medical tutor who was supposed to advise the entire College. But he was virtually unknown and unconsulted outside of his own House. Now he also is gone and the College has left unfulfilled a responsibility to a sixth of the undergraduate body. Eliot has assumed its part of this responsibility. The other Houses should do likewise.