THE PLATFORM OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

INTERNSHIPS  The internship is an established institution in this country, mutually profitable to both hospitals and interns. Each year more hospitals seek the privilege of instructing interns. Even in those states in which an internship is not legally required for licensure, practically all medical graduates voluntarily serve this form of apprenticeship. The merits of "straight," "mixed" and "rotating" internships are still debated; probably all of these types are desirable and no one of them should be adopted to the exclusion of others.Elsewhere in this issue Dr. William Dock¹ discusses the selection of interns and argues that medical students should secure intern appointments largely through their own efforts rather than through the agency of the dean or intern committee. Dr. Dock points out that assumption of responsibility for placing its graduates or fifth year students by the school incurs an obligation to those hospitals which benevolently accept candidates who rank among the lowest in their class. Having recommended such a man in the fall of his final year, the