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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, February 26, 1993                   TAG: 9302260491
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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IN 90 DAYS YOU'RE A BRAIN SURGEON

I SUBMIT, with apologies to Jonathan Swift, the following modest proposal:

During the early period of the United States' participation in World War II, the Army conducted an Officer's Candidate School. The participants, after 90 days of accelerated training, were commissioned as officers and assigned active duty.

I propose that all adults (over 16 years of age, say) on welfare, be assigned to a Medical Training Corps. After 90 days of intensive instruction, the graduates would be licensed as surgeons, anesthesiologists, gynecologists, proctologists, nurses, etc., as needed. This new influx of medical personnel would most assuredly affect the "managed competition" the administration desires, while also providing health care for all Americans.

Thus, both health-care and welfare reform would be accomplished simultaneously. It's that simple. EDWIN L. BRAUNER SALEM

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