Medicine: Jews & Schools

“We are sending you this memorandum in order that there may be no misunderstanding regarding the rather difficult situation which you may face if you are planning to seek admission to a medical school.”

Thus began a newsworthy document which President James Lukens McConaughy last week sent to the two dozen Jewish undergraduates of Wesleyan University at Middletown, Conn. Set forth were prime facts & figures about medical schools, Jews and Gentiles:

Each year about 14,000 young men and women try to get into the 77 reputable U. S. medical schools. Of these applicants about 50% are Jews.

Each year about 6,300 gain admission. About 17% are Jews.

In the U. S. under 5% of the population are Jews. The trend in medical schools is to hold Jewish enrollment down to about the same ratio as Jews have to the entire population.

“The above facts explain,” President McConaughy, a tolerant Congregationalist at the head of a tolerant Methodist college, went on to elaborate, “why it is difficult for Wesleyan to place her graduates of the Jewish race in medical schools. It should be apparent that in selecting its freshmen each medical school will feel some degree of responsibility for the graduates of the institution with which it is associated, and it therefore is impelled to accept the promising applicants within its own borders. It is now quite generally admitted that, after that selection has been made, very little room is left for Jewish candidates from other institutions.

“We have no desire to discourage you in your hope for a medical career, but feel that it is only fair that you should know the circumstances. We have been disturbed at the difficulties which some of our students, even after a very good Wesleyan record, have encountered in the last few years in securing admission to medical school.”