HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
ae SHATTUCK STREET
ROSBTON, MAGGACHUSETTS Oats . OFFICE OF THE DEAN
REGENT 4-3300

May 21, 1976

To the Deans of American Medical Schools:

Such wide publicity has been given to the article
written by Dr. Bernard Davis and appearing in the NEW
ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE (Vol. 294, No. 20, May 13,

1976, p. 1118), that I feel compelled to write you in the
hope that you and your admissions committee will not be mis-
led by what I can only term irresponsible statements made by
Dr. Davis. The article, entitled "Academic Standards in
Medical Schools," purports to be a general commentary on

the subject, but in fact is a thinly veiled criticism of the
Harvard Medical School. He implies that academic standards

at Harvard have fallen (unproven) and that some degrees have

    

been granted on a charitable basis. He tses as a sing

  
  
 

GUYaw dpe yop i
oe I
ample for the latter charge, the case of a student who had eee Od

failed Part I of the National Boards five times but was
ultimately granted the M. D. by vote of the Faculty. What
he neglected to state, because he had not bothered to inform
himself of the facts, was that the student in question was
granted a degree only after a year of highly satisfactory

clinical performance on the wards of a distinguished hospital,

documented by letters from all the chiefs of service under
whom he served. Nor did Dr. Davis mention that the student
had passed Part II of the National Boards. There is nothing
to suggest that this man will be anything but a fine physician.
To consider that he might be a danger to patients is ludicrous.

The facts are these: All Harvard medical students
are judged by precisely the same academic standards in both
the preclinical and clinical years. Some minority students
have had academic difficulties along the way, and so have
some white students. The faculty has never granted a degree
to anyone ona "charitable basis." Dr. Ewalt, Senior Associate
Dean for Clinical Affairs, and internship advisor, reviewed in
its entirety every record of every medical student graduating
in the Class of 1976, and he interviewed all fourth-year stu-
dents. Not only did he judge that all were well qualified,
but he was unable to distinguish between minority and majority .
students on the basis of their records.

The views expressed by Dr. Davis are his own and do
not reflect those of the Faculty or the administration. En-
closed are copies of statements by the Faculty Council and
the chairmen of all of the preclinical science departments.
Both take issue with the conclusions implied in Dr. Davis'

article. The effort of the Harvard Medical School to recruit
-3-

minority students has been a success, and the Faculty vouches
for the competence of all its graduates. It is my profound
hope that Dr. Davis' statements are not misconstrued by mem-
bers of your faculty or by your admissions committee and are
interpreted to mean that Harvard is drawing back from its
‘commitment to minorities or that our minority graduates are
any less competent than any others. Such is not the case. I
also hope that you will continue your own efforts on behalf
of minority students and will not permit the pronouncements
by Dr. Davis to alter your present admission policies.

I would consider it a favor if you would share this
letter with members of your admissions committee.

Sincerely,

Robert H. Ebert, M. D.
Dean