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Sunday, November 23, 2003The first women in medicine, however, are nothing short of an inspiration. They went into the field at a time when women were considered little more than children. Women like Elizabeth Blackwell, who graduated from Geneva Medical College in 1849. (Although it isn't true, as the bio states, that she was the first woman since the Renaissance to become a doctor. There were others before her, but she may have been the first to do it without resorting to an elaborate ruse). Her entry was serendipitous: The faculty, assuming that the all-male student body would never agree to a woman joining their ranks, allowed them to vote on her admission. As a joke, they voted 'yes,' and she gained admittance, despite the reluctance of most students and faculty. They weren't exactly welcoming when she arrived: On Blackwell's first day of school, Smith remembered, "the Dean came into the classroom, evidently in a state of unusual agitation. The class took alarm, fearing that some great calamity was about to befall the College. … He stated, with a trembling voice, that … the female student … had arrived. … With this introduction he opened the door to the reception room and a lady … entered, whom the Dean formally introduced as Miss Blackwell. She was plainly but neatly dressed in Quaker style, and carried the usual notebook of the medical student. A hush fell on the class as if each member had been stricken with paralysis. A death-like stillness prevailed during the lecture, and only the newly arrived student took notes." A few paper darts flew her way, but Blackwell ignored them. She later wrote that she hoped her "quiet manner would soon stop any nonsense." In fact, she had difficulty getting the people of the town to take her seriously. The women shunned her. And after graduation she couldn't find a hospital in which to get her clinical training. She overcame it all and founded her own hospital - not only to treat women, but to train them as doctors. (You can read more about her here.) She paved the way for other women, like her younger sister, and this Civil War surgeon, and this physicist, and this figure skater. All of whom, in their turn, have made it easier for all those who followed. And all because of a little joke by several dozen medical students in rural New York. ADDENDUM: Although it's much easier to be both a woman and a doctor these days, here's a little etiquette tip for dealing with women physicians. Be very careful how you use your terms of endearment. If you're over a certain age, say 75, and you have a sweet grandmotherly voice, you may be able to call them "dear" and "honey" with impugnity. If you use the term in an obviously affectionate way, such as "Thank you, dear," then you're not likely to cause offense. But, if you use it in sentences like this, "Look, honey, I know my own body and I know when I need antibiotics," you're not likely to win over the doctor. Just think to yourself- could I/would I use this word of endearment if I were talking to a man? posted by Sydney on 11/23/2003 08:57:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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