Med School Enrollment Opens for Biggest Class

              (Journal Photo by Don Graham)
Students register in the LSU-S Medical School freshman class.
Med School Enrollment
Opens for Biggest Class
By ANN DEMENT
Journal Staff Writer
The LSU Medical School Student
Union building at the Linwood Apart-ments
was filled with excitement this
morning during registration of the,
school's 1975 freshman class.
Although registration was delayed
and was not in the new medical school
complex as hoped, the spirit of the
students couldn't have been higher.
DR. WILLIAM McEiroy, LSU's
associate dean for admissions, said 96
freshman students were scheduled to
register today and he expected more.
"This is indeed a happy day because this
is our largest freshman class since the
school was established. All students are
residents of Louisiana and represent 22
undergraduate schools," McEIroy said.
This year's class includes 16 women,
two blacks and several students who
already have doctorate degrees in other
fields. Two of the freshman medical
students are on the med school faculty
and have Ph.D degrees in Anatomy.
Most of the students reside in the
school-owned Linwood Apartments. The
two-bedroom apartments cost the
students $85 a month plus utilities. Most
apartments house two students. When
the new LSU Medical School complex
opens later this year, school officials say
the Linwood Apartments will be conver-ted
totally to student housing. Presently
many school departments are located in
the apartments.
DR. CHARLES Wood, director of
communications for the school, said the
freshmen students will begin classes at 8
a.m. Monday in the Student Union
building. "For their first two weeks,
they will have lectures in anatomy from
8 a.m. to noon in the Student Union
building," he said.
The cost of the first year of medical
school is approximately $5,000, ac-cording
to Dr. Wood. He said each stu-dent
has to purchase a microscope and
certain costly supplies, but that most
students receive some type of grant or
scholarship assistance.
When students were asked why they
chose the Shreveport medical school,
replys included: "I like Shreveport and
what it has to offer," "I feel like I can
study harder in Shreveport than New
Orleans." The majority of the students
said they chose LSU School of Medicine
in Shreveport because of the new
medical complex and high academic
standards.
DR. WOOD SAID the student housing
also was a big drawing card in bringing
medical students to Shreveport.
The responsibility facing this class is
probably the biggest concern to the
students, as stated by one freshman
class member, "It is like you find your-self
with an opportunity of a lifetime.
One of the finest medical schools in the
world, outstanding faculty and a good
stimulating environment—It's our time
to make it work."