Max Price gives Sherman lecture

Max Price gives Sherman lecture

“Is medicine still a good job for a nice Jewish boy or girl?”

THE newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, Professor Max Price, will be giving the this year’s Rabbi Dr David Sherman lecture.

The lecture, in memory of the much-loved Rabbi Sherman, who was the outspoken leader of Cape Town’s progressive community for many years, is an annual feature at his former congregation, Temple Israel.

Professor Price recently moved to Cape Town from Johannesburg, where he and his family were active members of Temple Emanuel. His talk is titled “Is medicine still a good job for a nice Jewish boy or girl?” a topic that will resound with many young adults and parents.

He will respond to the question of whether the quality of the training in South Africa is still as high as it has been, and whether a matriculant contemplating a career in medicine would be enhancing their prospects studying here or would be better off going overseas.

And in the same light, is it ethical for someone with doubts about a long-term future in this country to take up one of the few places available in the Medical School? And for that matter, with changing criteria for admissions selections, will I or my child actually get in?

Another issue that has raised a number of questions is whether it is reasonable to expect medical students and graduates to do community service, when the same is not expected of other students.

Dr Price has been a Rhodes Scholar to Oxford, studied at Harvard and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, was Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits, has been a consultant to the South African government on several health issues, and was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town in July 2008.

In 2004 he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa in recognition of his leadership role in public health medicine and medical education.

The lecture is on Tuesday, February 17, 2009, at 7.30 for 8.00pm at Temple Israel, Green Point. Contact the shul at 021-434-8901.