The CHAIRMAN. Proceed. Dr. KRASKIN. Here there is suggested a 4-year curriculum in optometry. (1) Optometry: MAJOR DIVISION-BASIC SUBJECTS Anatomy (comparative histology, gross ocular, neural). Chemistry (inorganic, organic, physiological laboratory diagnosis). Mathematics. Physics. Geometrical and physical optics. Physiological optics. Didactic optometry. (2) Ocular pathology: Anatomy (as above). Physiology (as above). General pathology and bacteriology. (3) Opthalmic mechanics: Mathematics. Physics. Geometrical and physical. Optics and optometrical mechanics. (4) Correlated general and ocular pathology: Anatomy (as above). Physiology (as above). General pathology and bacteriology. (5) Optometrical economics and jurisprudence. The first (1) consists of optometry-the same with the exception of chemistry. The second (2) consists of ocular pathology-same with the exception of chemistry. The third (3), opthalmic mechanics-same. The fourth (4), correlated, general, and ocular pathology-same. The fifth (5), eyesight conservation and hygiene. I hurriedly had mailed an exact copy of the curriculum of the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry, giving the number of hours they teach different subjects. By the way, all that was accepted by the principal colleges since September 1, 1938. That is the minimum curriculum. Some have gone beyond that. Other of the board of governors of universities have created a school of optometry, teaching optometry in 5 years, 1 year of pre-optometry, and 4 years of optometry. In that same report that I have there, which is too lengthy to read, we are advocating 2 years of preoptometry and 4 years of optometry. We hope in the near future it shall be a 6-year course. The purpose that I cite all these things is to show you we are primarily interested in the quality of the service and the ability of the man to give the finest service possible. We do not care if it is called optometry or what you are going to call it in the future. But we want as complete a man produced educationally and by training and that that man shall give the public what it needs. Because the problems are getting larger and larger. Educators through out the country are reporting to us the difficulties they have; reading difficulties that they are having and that they are discovering in their schools that are handicapping the students in undergraduate schools and graduate schools. May I submit the optometry course taken from the catalog of the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry? (The matter referred to is as follows:) OPTOMETRY COURSE Taken from the catalog of the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry. While the curricula varies to a minor degree in the university courses compared with the independent colleges, this is highly representative of all optometric Grand total hours devoted to the study of eyes and allied subjects-- 4, 791 Dr. KRASKIN. I want also to submit to the committee a list of the schools graded A. GRADE "A" OPTOMETRY SCHOOLS Columbia University, New York City, N. Y. Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. University of California, Berkeley, Calif. Pennsylvania State College of Optometry, Philadelphia, Pa. University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec. Los Angeles School of Optometry, Los Angeles, Calif. Now, in this survey of education we took, it is made yearly, we hold no brief for any school, if a university does not come up to the required curriculum that university will not receive a passing rate and then the students will not be eligible for membership. The CHAIRMAN. May I interrupt you at this point? They accept no one except from schools mentioned on the list of schools with the grade of A? No one has taken an examination since the 1st of September, did you say, of last year? Dr. KRASKIN. Since September 1, 1938. No, sir; they have not. The CHAIRMAN. Am I to understand that the Board will accept no one except from the schools mentioned above? Dr. KRASKIN. That is about the rule made by the Board and okayed by the Commissioner. The CHAIRMAN. Are you through, Doctor? Dr. KRASKIN. I am all through, Doctor. Mr. KAUFMAN. Mr. Chairman, I would like to make two statements for the record. One is, after hearing the educational standards of the future requirements for optometrists of tomorrow it looks like the measurement of the eye, which is basically the optometrist, is no longer needed in the curriculum of our living. They are all going to be occulists and M. D.'s of tomorrow because, frankly, I would like to know why all this pathology is required. Dr. KRASKIN. It would be too great to detail here. Mr. KAUFMAN. Because they can do nothing if a pathological situation is involved. The next thing I would like to state as a matter of record is the fact it is stated here by the chairman of the examiners, or the president of the examiners, an intimation is made, namely, that when a patient, or a proposed patient goes into an average store he must be sold glasses. Now, as a matter of record, do you know in my association, we have 30 percent of the persons that walk into the optometrical departments in commercial practice are not fitted with glasses at all. And I am not so sure that that is consistently true. with the private practitioner. Mr. SHIPE. Mr. Chairman, I should like to ask just two or three questions. You have stated to the committee that you want the Board of Optometry to have the power Dr. KRASKIN. Not the "power," but the "jurisdiction." Mr. SHIPE (continuing). The jurisdiction over the educational requirements. Dr. KRASKIN. Yes; not the education requirements but the manner in which a man will practice thereafter. We cannot control a man's morality. Mr. SHIPE. I will get to that later. What I am talking about now is your education requirements. Again, you have read your bill and you have read H. R. 5238. Now, in H. R. 5238 on page 7 it provides that the Board of Optometry by and with the consent and approval of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, may from time to time (a) Establish minimum standards of education in optometry— Are you satisfied with that? Dr. KRASKIN. Yes; correct. Mr. SHIPE (continuing): (b) Establish minimum standards for schools or colleges of optometry in the District of Columbia (c) Determine whether schools or colleges of optometry in the District of Columbia attain such standards Are you satisfied with that? Dr. KRASKIN. Very, very satisfied. Mr. SHIPE (continuing): (d) Alter, amend, and otherwise change the educational requirements, but in altering, amending, or changing said requirements the Board shall not lower the same. Are you satisfied with that? Dr. KRASKIN. Very satisfied with it. Mr. SHIPE. What other power do you want? Dr. KRASKIN. I am not asking Mr. SHIPE (interposing). So what was your whole tirade about? Dr. KRASKIN. Mr. Rosenberg put into the record that this was not a profession or something of the sort, a skilled trade; and that the education amounted to something like an academic course. And he spoke about degrees which had nothing to do with the degree of knowledge of a man. In England today even a physician gets a master or a bachelor of arts degree. The medicine degree has nothing to do with the situation whatsoever. And still he emphasizes that. Mr. SHIPE. Regardless of what anyone said you are satisfied? Dr. KRASKIN. Well, he represented a corporate institution. Mr. SHIPE. All right. Dr. KRASKIN. He came here and said he was representing a corporate institution. Mr. SHIPE. Regardless of what anyone said you are satisfied with the jurisdiction over education requirements given to the Board under H. R. 5238. Dr. KRASKIN. That is, not fully. Mr. SHIPE. In view of the fact that the Supreme Court in our district has stated that the practice of optometry is a business or a trade and not a profession, it has not affected you at all, now? Dr. KRASKIN. No. I do not agree with the court. Mr. SHIPE. The two vital questions so far as you are concerned, Doctor, I must, like you, confess rather that you want to raise Dr. KRASKIN (interposing). The standards. Mr. SHIPE (continuing). The practice of optometry to a profession on a level with law and medicine? Dr. KRASKIN. No, sir. I do not want to be placed in that position. I am only interested, and my associates with me, and if you will permit me to put into the record the men associated with this workCharles Shean, of the Mayo Clinic, who happens to be chairman of the vocational and commercial committee of the American Medical Association. I am a member of his committee. Dr. Minor, of the University of California. Dr. Woll, of the College of the City of New York and Columbia University. We are interested in the quality of service humanity is to receive. If you can do it in the street or in Kahn's I have no objection. Mr. SHIPE. I declined to interrupt you while you were testifying, I suggest Dr. KRASKIN (interposing). Excuse me. Mr. SHIPE. If you are through with your speech, all right. You and I agree on one thing. That is, you want to raise the standards of the practice of optometry? Dr. KRASKIN. The quality. Mr. SHIPE. All of us want to do that. We think that H. R. 5238 does do it. It gives you the power. Dr. KRASKIN. I do not think so. Mr. SHIPE (continuing). Over educational requirements. Dr. KRASKIN. Over education requirements; yes. Mr. SHIPE. And it gives you under section 8 the right to suspend and revoke licenses for reasons stated therein. Dr. KRASKIN. I do not interpret it like you do. You may be right and I may be wrong. Mr. SHIPE. It gives you the power of suspension or revocation. Dr. KRASKIN. Not after a man is practicing. Mr. SHIPE. For certain reasons. Dr. KRASKIN. For certain minor reasons that have never come up in the Board since 1924. Any of those reasons never come up. We never had one occasion for any of those reasons in the old bill. Still we are not able to do anything about the quality of the service, and so forth. Mr. SHIPE. Well, for what reason would you like to suspend or revoke a license if a man studied, as long as the required studies were obtained, and he passed your examination? What other reasons than those stated in section 8 would you disqualify him for? Dr. MARSHALL. Pardon me, but this has been submitted, Mr. Shipe. Mr. SHIPE. Let me ask the doctor. Dr. KRASKIN. I can answer that, Mr. Shipe. Mr. Shipe, in the first place I do not like to revoke or suspend anybody's license. That is, to begin with. I do know this: I know that a human is weak, and he is. And I know that we cannot control a man's morals or his character or anything along that line and neither do I want the responsibility. |
Get this book in print