A TALE of TWO CITIES

A Tale of Two Cities. At one time the Toronto Academy of Medicine (1907) was an established institution. It had lecture rooms, the William Boyd library, the Drake Paediatric Museum, an Academic History of Medicine programme and the separate Osler Hall for large meetings. In 1984 the Academy started to fail financially and in a few years the properties were sold; the books and museum contents given away. The building is now a Baha'i Temple. At present Toronto no longer has an Academy of Medicine or any other similar Medical society. The reason for the Academy's bankruptcy: it did not occur to the fiscally naive Toronto doctors to ask International Pharm.corps for more than a $1,000 contribution, the same amount paid by Individual benefactors,(including the writer).

The situation is happily and vastly different for the palatial Royal Society of Medicine at One Wimpole St. Through the fiscal smarts of thr RSM Board, the building was redesigned internally by the HERON Group, who were given an extra floor in exchange. The RSM received large donations from many Pharm. corps.,their names gracing the various magnificent lecture halls. The world famous WELLCOME Library, Museum & FREE lectures at 183 Euston rd.is an another example of medical education funded by the pharm.industry. The NOVARTIS Foundation at 41 Portland place is home to important scientific meetings. The unique Dr.F.NETTER (1906-1991),8 vol. ANATOMY ATLAS was originally commissioned by CIBA Pharm.corp.

In Ontario, CME outside the teaching hospitals, depends on the generosity of pharm. companies paying for Specialists to visit the many Ontario small towns to give FREE after-work dinner-lectures. The Ontario Government does not pay for CME costs or travel expenses. As a result of distance and lack of Government funding many doctors cannot afford out-of- town CME meetings. International & Canadian pharma companies are essential to help Canadian doctors keep up-to-date.