Efforts of the Louisiana State-university'medical school to increase the number of general practitioners in Louisiana brought praise here Wednesday from the president-elect of the American Academy of General Practice.
As a result of these efforts, the number of general practitioners in Louisiana is on the increase while GPs nation-wide are on the decrease, said pr, i James D. Murphy of Fort Worth, Tex.
Dr. Murphy, in New Orleans to address the annual assembly of the Louisiana Academy of ; General Practice, said "in your state the general practitioner situation in unique.''
rOLE OF DEANS- .
*'Louisiana is one of the few states of the nation where a medical school has recognized its responsibility to provide the people of the state with sufficient doctors to give them the right sort of care," he added.
Dr. Murphy said ''the whole thing boils down to a difference of attitude on the part of the deans."
"In many medical schools," he explained, "the deans pride themselves on the number of researchers and specialists they can produce,"
■ 'PRIME RESPONSIBILITY1 Dr. Murphy said ;nr...ttrWj1Uam - ^7£a, dea-rt of the LSU medical school, emphasizes the fact that the medical school's prime responsibility is to train doctors for the various communities of the state.
"Tulane medical school may be doing the same thing," added Dr. Murphy. "I cannot state this for a fact but I do know what LSU is doing."
The Texas physician said part of the program of the American Academy of General Practice is to encourage the medical schools to graduate physicians who have not been' directed into specialties before graduation.
"We also want to go one step further," he added. "We want to encourage all young doctors who want to go into general practice to go through a two-year training program so they can render a better grade of medical care at a cost people can afford." SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS Dr. Murphy also discussed the academy's program for recruiting high school and college students, "We call this program MORE,'' he explained. "Must of our efforts are at a local level. As you know there is a serious shortage of doctors in the nation today, particularly general practitioners,"
Dr. Murphy said the number of GPs total 80,000—"about half the doctors of the nation."
The visiting physician, who with his red hair and twinkling eyes looks as Irish as his name, said he enjoys being a general | practitioner. " ;.'
FASCINATING CHALLENGE "Of course, a GP has to work longer and harder than a specialist," he said. "A specialist usually works eight hours a day. To make the same money, we have to work 12 to 15 hours."
Dr. Murphy said he doesn't ! mind work and that anyway he things general practice presents a fascinating challenge. He said each day brings a new situation; 'that experiences are varied and 1 problems many. He said even ! keeping up with new medications I is no small job.
! Sessions 6f the Lduisiant Academy of General Practice will close Thursday at the Monteleone hotel.
PHOTO: DR. JAMES D. MURPHY
