Evening star., 1935-05-17
Girl Doctor
In Country
Well Placed
Ambition Should Win
for Student Who
Seeks Field.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

MARGARET is graduating from
AVA high school and must decide on
her lifework before entering college.
eff you know what you are going for,
well and good, you may go. But II 1t
is just to have good time you can
have that at home with less COST" says
father grinly.
1T do know. want to be doctor"
"a what?"
"a doctor"
"a woman doctor hasn't China
mans chance. Who hires a woman
doctor? Did you ever see one in this
house?"
None except me. I'm going to be
one. I have thought it all out. I am
going to be a country doctor and spe-
cialize in babies"
my word. This beats me. Does
your mother know? You mean to
stand there and tell me your mother
encourages such nonsense?"
Right you are, dad. Mother says
that if that is what want to do, it
is all right for me to do it. She thinks
it's a fine idea. And you will get used
to 1t. I can be useful to people who
need me, and that means whole lot. :"
The girl who feels that being a coun-
try doctor is her vocation, who has the
health and the talent and tempes--
ment for it, has rich field of service
open to her. She will not be famous,
perhaps. And perhaps she may be
lucky enough to tend quintuplets. You
never can tell. But as sure as she
hangs out her shingle she will be
welcomed, called for, beloved and
served as household saint and angel.
A country doctors life is hard. How
about the city doctors life? The
family physician who has to turn out
Of bed at in the morning because
old Mrs Cookey has a stomach at
tack, or q baby has arrived ahead of
schedule, or on schedule, or because
there has been an accidents his
life easy? 1t is never easy and in my
opinion he has all of the hardships
and few of the luxuries of his profess
sion in comparison with the country
doctor.
There are pure air and bright SUM-
shine in the country. At night you
can see the stars, miles of them, and
the shadows of trees and rocks in
moonlight, and great peace. There
are magnificent dawns to be watched
BY the homeward- bound doctor after
q night of work, and any one of them
will tell you that ride through the
hills in the dawn is recompense enough
for a loss of sleep. There are flowers
by the roadside and cool springs, and
happy, healthy children stopping by
the way. There are friendly folk for
neighbors and patients, folk who look
to their doctor as their savior.
In this field of maternity care there
Is peculiar need for the woman physi-
clan. A country woman is glad to
have a woman with her at this time,
glad to conflde in her, ready and
anxious to trust her. The field is not
crowded with competitive men. In
the cities the woman physician has
to fight her way inch by inch: has to
establish her own clinics and her own
hospitals and struggle to maintain
them because men hold the field and
admit her grudgingly. if at all.
Women and babies in the country
need woman doctors. Once the doc
tor takes hold in family, she is ac-
cepted, and, If she wishes, her practice
widens and takes in the care of all
sorts of patients. 1t is noble life
for a woman, well rewarded in love
and usefulness and peace. And enough
money to get by old age is always
there. A good job for the right girl.
And, of course, she can marry the
young doctor who threatens her prac-
tice and let two doctors work where
one worked before. We need them in
the hills