University of Iowa Publication New Series No. 1122 April 6,1940 THE MEDICAL BULLETIN Published by the University, Iowa City, Iowa. Issued semi-weekly January 1 to May 31 and weekly June 1 to December 31. Entered at the post office, Iowa City, Iowa, as second class matter under the Act of August 24, 1912. The Department of Pathology The Department of Pathology is located in the Medical Laboratories Building. The laboratories and offices occupy approximately half of the first floor, while the autopsy suite is located on the basement floor in easy access to the hospitals. The functions of the pathology department in the medical school and hospital organization may be considered under three headings: (1) teaching, both undergraduate and postgraduate, (2) hospital pathology, which includes autopsy and surgical pathology, and (3) research. Pathology is one of the major subjects in the second year medical curriculum. The course is continued through the whole of the year, an arrangement which allows the greatest utilization of the autopsy and surgical material for undergraduate teaching. Fourth year students attend for onehalf of the school year the weekly clinical-pathological conferences, at which current autopsy cases are reviewed and discussed. These conferences are conducted by the pathology department in collaboration with the various clinical departments. Postgraduate teaching is carried on informally by the study of current autopsy and surgical pathological material. In the course of postgraduate Row I: Dr. TV. H. Seegers, Dr. E. D. Warner, Dr. H. P. Smith, Dr. E. T. Mertz, Dr. K. M. Brinkhous. Row 2: Dr. K. S. Harris, Dr. R. T. Tidrick, Dr. C. A. Jacobs, Mr. S. A. Walker, Dr. J. E. Flynn. training in the departments of surgery, medicine, radiology and orthopedics, members of the resident staff in these departments spend part of their training period in the department of pathology. Men in their second year in surgery are given a full year university appointment in pathology. In this capacity they assist with the undergraduate teaching, and under the supervision of the senior staff, they are responsible for the major part of the hospital pathological service. Assistant residents from internal medicine and radiology spend six months and those from orthopedic surgery spend three months in the department. The autopsy and surgical pathological services afford an abundance of material for instruction, both undergraduate and postgraduate. Approximately 325-400 autopsies are performed annually; in 1939 there were 354. This represents 60 per cent of the deaths in University Hospitals in that year. Surgical specimens, including biopsies, number between 3500-4500 annually. In 1939, the total number was 4018. An organized program of research in the field of blood clotting and hemorrhagic diseases is carried on in the department. Junior members of the department are invited to join in the researchprogram. Currently, stress is being placed on vitamin K and its relationship to prothrombin and hemorrhagic diseases; and on chemical and biological studies dealing with thrombin and prothrombin. By the generous co-operation of the clinical services, 'there is ample opportunity for the study of various hemorrhagic states. Joint investigations in these fields are being conducted with the departments of surgery, internal medicine and anesthesia. Research in the departments is aided by grants from the John and Mary R. Markle Foundation and from the Graduate College of the University. In addition to these research activities, assistance is given in the study of problems in morbid anatomy that arise in the course of investigations in other departments. Recently studies on experimental transfusion anuria in conjunction with the department of internal medicine and on experimental muscular dystrophy in conjunction with the department of physiology have been made. The personnel of the pathology department consists of Dr. H. P. Smith, professor and head; Dr. E. D. Warner, class of '29, associate professor; Dr. K. M. Brinkhous, '32, assistant professor; Dr. W. H. Seegers, research biochemist; Dr. E. T. Mertz, research biochemist; and Dr. J. E. Flynn, '37, assistant. In addition there are three assistants from the department of Surgery, and assistant residents from the departments of Internal Medicine, Radiology and Orthopedic Surgery. A student , assistant, Mr. S. A. Walker, who has completed the second year medical course, holds a graduate college appointment. CORRELATION OF MEDICAL COURSES Steps are under way at the University of Iowa to make certain changes in the medical curriculum. The first is to break down the artificial separation which has existed between the pre-clinical and the clinical years. In the past the first two years have not brought the student sufficiently in contact with the sick patient. The material, although fundamental, has not been correlated effectively with that of the clinical years. On the other hand, the clinical departments have not availed themselves fully of the facilities of the pre-clinical divisions. The second step on  the  program  is  to emphasize to the student that the primary function of the Medical School is not to develop specialists, but to impart basic information which will be of value to the student in the general practice of medicine. The program outlined above has been approved by the Medical Council. A committee composed of Drs. Greene. chairman, Warner, Dulin, Mengert, Boyd, and Sahs has been appointed. This group has been at work since August, 1939 on various phases of correlation of the medical curriculum. As a beginning the departments of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Surgery have arranged their courses so that subjects common to several or all of these departments are presented to the studentsin co-ordinated fashion. Repetitions are thereby reduced to a minimum, and the students have the opportunity of coming in contact with such subjects as diabetes, tuberculosis, and the like with a much broader outlook than if one department alone were to present the material. In addition, a series of "symptom clinics" and round table conferences has been instituted. At these conferences staff members from three to five departments are present, thus giving the students an opportunity to appreciate differences of opinion as well as the recognized principles of diagnosis and therapy. The general plan calls for inclusion of more and more departments in this system. Page Twenty-six Return to Departmental History