Guest Editorial

Abstract

R.M.S. must change. Its hitherto cocoon-like existence is fine for the forty or so active members, but the Society fails, even in its chosen role as an academic body, as it attracts by no means all of the best brains in the medical school. The Society must enlarge its sphere of activity and dispel its introverted and self-satisfied image. There are many who would be happy to see R.M.S. quietly fold up, believing that its ideas lie, along with its roots, in the 18th century. However, I am sure that there is a place for a flourishing, undergraduate medical student society, especially one with the funds of R.M.S. The problem is how to make the R.M.S. flourish.

Many of the current objectives of the Society are pertinent and must be pursued, but others need to be added to make it relevant to medical students as a whole. The Society's annual membership is about 120 and whilst it must be said that this is 50% up on five years ago, why are only one-seventh of Edinburgh’s medical students members of R.M.S., and equally important in the present context, why are so many of the more intelligent students spurning the Society? Doubtless some of this latter group prefer individualised methods of study interspersed with complete relaxation, but there are many who decry the Elitist attitude which has been propagated by some R.M.S. members. Their criticism is valid, but their resulting action is not.