Evening star., 1943-08-22

and as the first woman commits
stoned in the Medical Corps, she
has talked with good many of
the key officers as the policy to-
ward women has been formulated.
Il feel confident that women
are going to be put in jobs where
their full capacity will be used \"
she said. Il think the Army is
making a great effort, not only
to give them the breaks, but to
utilize their professional abilities.
And I think the personnel ONCE
should be given great credit for the
pains 1t is taking to bring this
about"
AS for the possibility OF women
in the Medical Corp being assigned
to the WACS, Maj. Craighill said
that, besides her own appointment,
only three of the women commits
stoned so far are with the Wom-
ems Army Corps. These three are
former WAC officers who trans
ferred to the Medical Corps.
Fine Job to be Done.
She doesn't think women should
side-step that assignment, how
ever. After ALL" she commented,
"the WACS are soldiers and there
is fine job to be done for them.
Men doctors are now caring for
them and the women should be
glad to do their share, too. But
they won't do it exclusively" she
added.
In probing into the reasons why
women haven't responded more
quickly to the opportunity to en-
ter the Medical Corps, Maj. Craig
hill divides them into several
groups.
First, she said, are the women
experienced and established in the
medical profession. AS male ply
sicians and surgeons have entered
the service, these women have taken
on added responsibilities and g.
number now are handling as many
as three or four practices. Be-
cause the supply of doctors in their
communities already is 50 depleted,
many OF them have not been able
to obtain release from the local
procurement and assignment COM
mittees of the War Manpower Com
mission when they have wanted to
apply for commissions.
In the second group, Mai. Craig
hill puts recent graduates-women
who have been out of medical school
one, two or three years. There is
a great demand for these women in
hospital work." she said, because
the men are being taken out as
soon as they complete their intern
ship.
Hospitals, which formerly
wouldn't take women as residents.
now are offering them all sorts of
1nducements-both in training and
money"
Residences are really graduate
education under supervision, she ex-
planned, and before the war it was
difficult for women to get this added
specialized graduate education. And
they have been distinctly handi-
capped by lack of this training, espe-
cially when they tried to qualify as
specialists.
Fill Vital Civilian Need.
Now this younger group" she
continued, lis taking advantage of
the opportunity to get good edu-
cation and at the same time to full
I'LL a vital civilian need by acting as
residents in hospitals, giving them
sufficient medical personnel to con-
tinue with an adequate program for
the care of patients"
In an intermediate" group, Mai.
Craighill lists women who have been
out of medical school for a short
time and who are planning to apply
for commissions as soon as they can
settle their affairs.
Maj. Craighill also pointed out
that men have more practical rea-
sons to apply for Army commissions
than women doctors. Many men.
of course, know they will be called
into service sooner or later and pre-
fer to apply for commissions before
being drafted.
AS things are now, women face
no such alternative. They know
what they are doing now and they
haven't been sure just how their
abilities would be used by the
ARMY.