Medicine: Fake M.D.’s

A St. Louis reporter charged that a ” diploma mill” centering in Missouri was turning out bogus high school and medical college diplomas for a consideration. Howard Sidener, U. S. circuit attorney, started an inquiry. William P. Sachs, former examiner of the Missouri School Department voluntarily appeared at Mr. Sidener’s office and confessed to having taken part in such a ring. He named two doctors of St. Louis and Kansas City as members of the clique, and admitted that in ten years he had sold over 1,000 high school certificates (necessary prelude to medical diplomas and state licenses) at an average price of $10, besides a number of M.D. sheepskins. Sachs alleged that other such rings are operating in Chicago, California, and the East, and that 15,000 persons are practicing medicine in the U. S. with fake diplomas or licenses.

That such conditions existed at various times has often been suspected. It is well known that low-grade or “correspondence medical schools” have dispensed diplomas to unqualified persons after absurdly inadequately ” courses.” Kansas City and St. Louis have been hotbeds of such fraudulent institutions, but have had no monopoly.