ABSTRACT
Medicine is both a profession and a gigantic industry. It is facing a major crisis in productivity in both areas. Changing population characteristics favor the elder citizen and his increased needs for cheap, effective medical care, but medical schools pay little heed. The temper of the times and the influence of the medical school are clearly shown in the fact that there are about 7000 family medicine residencies, much smaller than the number of surgical residencies although the need is much greater. One of the greatest indictments of the medical school system was formulated by L. W. Eichna. Many programs have decreased the number of residents which they will accept as a result of decreases in federal funding and need for the specialty. The physician who graduated from medical school with state aid was forced to spend some time in service in the rural areas of the state.
