Slim Novel 15 - http://adventuresofkimi.blogspot.com - See Homepage
1. A Doctor?
By mid 1955 at his Army discharge Eddie set his sight on Medical School for 1956. In addition to the stimulus of being Leo Davidoff's dark-haired boy, Eddie was also considering going back to Japan to live and work. And as a medical doctor, he guessed he would have an easier time succeeding at that.
Receiving his Army separation papers on the last day of August 1955, he went home to his parents and to his room and his postal stamps collection and other hobbies. With Professor Edwardes' help he switched to the pre-med course as 3rd year - a Junior - and he plunged into the rat race for medical School as it existed in 1955.
Most important for Eddie was the quota system to limit Jews, based on an awareness of Jewish superiority. It was obvious that on an equal playing field, the Jews would overwhelm the higher professions, especially medicine. Thus the quota!
If Eddie had not known that, he found out by being turned down by his own alma mater, New York University (Ironically called NY Jew by anti-Semites), and even the Downstate University despite his being top of college class.
This gets into the application process. Three elements - the applicant's college grades, his or her MCAT test (Medical College Admission Test), and the interview - determine getting in. These 3 were important but one's social status, ethnicity & race, and religion via quotas also played a big role. Negroes could forget about it unless they were token or applying to a tremendously competitive all-Negro school (only 1 or 2 in U.S.A.). Jews had a 5% quota in white-only US schools.
And then there was bribery. Certain schools were known for it. For New York City's Flower Fifth Avenue Medical College, it was said, you arrange a meeting with the dean and under the table hand him a paper bag with fifty $100 bills. It was also understood that, to qualify for a successful bribery there, you had to be white (Jews cash & carry OK), at least in the top half of your college class and MCAT over the median average. Still it was quite a feat although $5,000 in the 1950's was a lot. Eddie was not brave enough to go that way.
Professor Edwardes is Eddie's genie. The professor is expert in medical school application because he heads the committee advising pre meds at the College. Eddie made his early applications - to NYU and Downstate (Long Island) in early September 1955 without consulting Edwardes. When his applications were returned with a form letter of refusal, he went to the professor.
"Of course, my boy! Your surname gives you away. And even putting you on quota, you go to the bottom because you ran away to the Army for 3 years. That labels you unstable." He drops the refusal letters into the trash. "My boy! It happens you fell into a pot of jam - if I may use the overused metaphor - by applying for next year's class. I just came from a meeting with the head of a newly opened medical school. It is named after the late, great Albert Einstein. And it is nearby."
Eddie had heard of the new school but decided not to apply because he read it was part of the religious organization called Yeshiva and he had been strongly influenced by Miss Ali's atheism to keep away from religion in any form. His attentive silence signaled the professor to explain.
"AECOM, as we advisers all call the new school, was opened for precisely the reason of escaping the anti-Jewish quota. However, it has substituted another quota but not so bad for you. Thirty percent of the incoming class will be the orthodox religious Yeshiva graduates. The rest will come from the general Jewish community and the first few classes will be predominantly New York Jewish." The professor pauses and glances in Eddie's pre-med record on his desk. "I see you scored in the top one percent on MCAT and were straight-A grades in your first two years here at college. Go ahead and apply; then go see Leo Davidoff and tell him you are applying to AECOM. He is on the Board of Founders. Second, tell your father and he will know what to do."
Here, Professor Edwardes is referring to the common practice especially with a newly founded medical school of a parent making a large donation to the school fund as his child is applying for entry.
"And stop wasting time applying to other schools. Follow my instructions."
This is why Eddie is having his interview at Jacobi Hospital this cold, sunny December day.
The following February he receives a letter of acceptance as one of 98 other incoming first year medical school students of the Class that would graduate in 1960. He is in.
End Chapter- Slim Novel 15 continues with scenes from medical school in the 1950's. For next, click 15.2
Scenes from the Dissection Room
No comments:
Post a Comment