Medicine Woman

It was one of those weekends when I had the pressing urge to chill out in my comfy room instead of driving down to the beach or sweating out at the lake. And I happened to chance upon the later half of the series "Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman" on TV while munching indulgently on my Arnott's biscuits.

The protagonist, Dr Michaela ("Mike") Quinn, was a young and elegant lady, one of the very few females trained in the life-saving field during the 19th century. Brimming with youthful idealism and highest ambition, she uprooted herself from her liberated hometown of Boston and travelled to Colorado Springs with the hope of being a pioneer in the setting up of a decent medical treatment area for the small conservative population. In those days far from the era of female emancipation, when the roles of women were strictly limited to homemaking and childbearing, it was not surprising therefore that Dr Quinn would have to deal with several uphill challenges, not in her medical knowledge (which I must say, was fairly impressive), but rather to be acknowledged and recognised as a DOCTOR.

From the patients' refusal to be treated by a female doctor, to the barring of entrance into certain buildings due to gender discrimination, Dr Quinn constantly strived to break the tradition with her tenacity and determination. She dealt with this narrow-mindedness, not with spite and vindictiveness, but with the maturity that came with her sophisticated upbringing and civilised education. She wore pride and dignity on her demure persona, which manifested clearly at the scene when she was told that females were not allowed into the drinking bars.

"I am not a woman; I am a doctor", she insisted, when a prostitute pleaded for help but was unable to leave the premise as she wished. Dr Quinn was in every sense a woman, and one with lots of substance and charisma.

Another striking feature that I noticed in the show was the way medicine was practised, both primitively and modernised. It was certainly worrisome when surgeries and resuscitations had to be done without any protective gloves or sterilised equipments, which is probably reflective in the current situation of the tsunami tragedy. Yet the foundation and early principles of management were preserved and familiar, such as the performance of tracheostomy in the most basic manner for securing of the airway.

Dr Quinn never quite succeeded in being the pioneer that was intended but she had gained in other aspects, including finding a new family, love and respect. It was a meaningful ending to a simple yet profound episode.

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People enter the field of Medicine for various reasons. As I read the witty and powerfully written blogs of fellow medical professionals, Maria (www.intueri.org) and Emeritus (www.emeritus.blogspot.com), I am heartened to learn that the very basic human decency and compassion exist even at this modern age of materialism and sincerely applaud their commitment and integrity.

We are all individuals with our own set of aspirations and achievements. We have varying views and deal with matters in our own unique way. Ultimately it is what the intentions are and where the hearts belong that truly make the difference.