"As the nation entered the 20th century [...] diploma mills flourished in many parts of the country. An 'MD' degree could be earned with as little as six months of training [...]. 1912 The Federation of State Medical Boards is organized and agrees to accept the AMA's evaluation of medical schools as authoritative." http://www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/amnews/amn_03/edsa1013.htm
I have a friend who volunteers with the Pharmacy Museum in Oklahoma. According to the story when Oklahoma was still Indian Territory there was a shortage of pharmacists due to a pharmacist license costing $25 and a medical license costing $50. More people chose to find an extra $25. Apparently this was the only requirement at the time.
New York Times, Top of Page 1, October 20, 1923: "SAYS 15,000 HAVE BOUGHT BOGUS MEDICAL DIPLOMAS St. Louis, October 10. W. P. Sachs, who, last night, held a conference with Circuit Attorney Sidener in connection with the investigation of traffic in spurious medical diplomas told the prosecutor he believed that probably 15,000 persons were practicing medicine in the United States under bogus diplomas." This was big news back then. The Times ran at least 20 major stories in 1923 and 1924, naming fake medical schools currently operating in a dozen states, including: Eastern University School of Medicine, Baltimore Pacific Medical School, Los Angeles Atlanta College of Medicine, Georgia Maryland University of Medicine and Surgery, Baltimore Oriental University of Washington D.C. National University of Arts and Sciences, St. Louis
With the state of medicine in 1923 there was probably an even chance of being killed or cured by a doctor. Did a bogus doctor in 1923 not know how to apply a mustard plaster correctly?
