The softer side: Women doctors on TV

Observations. By Bonnie Booth, amednews staff. April 16, 2001.

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When the television show "M*A*S*H*" premiered on Sept. 17, 1972, the doctors were all male and the nurses were all female. The comedy was set during the Korean War, after all, and in the 1950s, few women were physicians.

Now, nearly 50 years after the Korean War ended and nearly 30 years after the premier of "M*A*S*H*," the gender breakdown of the physician work force has changed. Female physicians constitute nearly 25% of the total number of doctors in this country, and this year more than 40% of medical school graduates are women. They are establishing private practices, working shifts in hospital emergency departments, delivering babies, performing surgeries and teaching medical students.

In general, television has acknowledged the trend. Medical shows created in the past few years have at least some female doctors.

Drs. Kerry Weaver, Elizabeth Corday and Deb Chen work side-by-side with Drs. Mark Green, Peter Benton and John Carter in the overly chaotic emergency department that serves as the setting for "ER" -- NBC's long-running drama.

Drs. Dana Stowe and Luisa Delgado run the Rittenhouse Women's Health Center on "Strong Medicine," Lifetime network's freshman drama. The main male characters are the hospital administrator, Dr. Robert Jackson, and nurse Peter Riggs. The only semi-prominent practicing male physician on the show is a doctor who does double duty as Dr. Stowe's love interest. Hey, it's "television for women"; you'd expect women to be center stage.

ABC's first-year drama "Gideon's Crossing" seems to have a bit more trouble integrating female physicians as regulars. Although the show started out with two female residents in its cadre of nine main characters, it is down to one -- Dr. Ollie Klein.

But a by-the-numbers treatment alone does not add up to a full analysis of how television is treating female physicians. To do that, a variety of questions must be answered. Are the female physician characters developed as fully as the male characters? Are they stereotypical or do they break some molds? Do they confront some of the unique challenges that female physicians face or are those challenges ignored?

Although women have made inroads in the practice of medicine, both in numbers and in the types of positions they hold, I'm sure many would argue that they still have a long way to go before they are fully accepted into the profession. And being equal does not mean being alike. Men and women are always likely to face different obstacles and issues on their roads to becoming successful physicians. Television should reflect that.

So what's the diagnosis for "ER," "Gideon's Crossing" and "Strong Medicine"?

Each of the shows portrays women physicians as overachieving and hard-nosed, perhaps as a nod to the notion that medical school and residency have a tendency to toughen up both genders. But it also reflects the perception that women have to be tougher to get by in what is still considered by many to be a man's world.

The toughest of the lot is Dr. Klein, on "Gideon's Crossing." She is billed as very intelligent, very driven and, until recently, very incapable of the capacity for emotional attachment that it takes to sustain a romantic relationship. Although the male residents around her have experienced an assortment of affairs of the heart, Dr. Klein has had a series of one-date stands and, as a result, her male counterparts have some harsh words for her, uttered on occasion to her face but more often than not, behind her back.

All this is about to change, however, as a recently introduced plot line that has her being stalked by an ex-fiancé is more fully developed. Already her façade is starting to crack and her colleagues are taking note of her new vulnerability. I am disappointed that the writers have resorted to such an overused plot device to soften Dr. Klein.

The same could be accomplished by giving her some female colleagues with whom to bond. The female physician characters on "ER" and "Strong Medicine" are more three-dimensional because they develop relationships with female colleagues, thus providing opportunities to show their softer side -- a side that then eventually shows up as they deal with male physicians.

To me, the "softer side" is defined by those qualities that most patients believe female doctors exhibit more often than men. They include compassion, warmth and a firm but gentle strength and resolve.

Those are qualities that Drs. Stowe and Delgado of "Strong Medicine" have in abundance. Once again, given the Lifetime network's "television for women" tag line, that should come as no surprise. But I'm not sure that works in favor of real-world female physicians. These two are governed too often by emotion. In the season finale, Dr. Stowe weeps after she loses a newborn during childbirth and seriously contemplates leaving medicine. Dr. Delgado inserts a feeding tube in a woman who has started a hunger strike to try to keep the state from executing her son. The conflict between force-feeding her patient -- a treatment vocally opposed by the nurse -- and watching her wither away becomes very stressful for Dr. Delgado and she breaks down in tears. I know many women who cry out of frustration and anger, but I'm betting it's not something you see very many real-world female doctors doing.

In fact, it's not something you see Drs. Weaver, Corday and Chen doing in "ER," and things get mighty stressful there.

It is the female physicians of "ER" who have struck the balance that women physicians strive for every day. The attempt to balance their personal and professional lives often plays out in the story lines. They can hold their own with the guys and are not afraid to push them around a bit if need be. They usually hold their "maternal" qualities in check, but should they have a patient who needs that special touch, they willingly go a bit soft.

The writers of "ER" have had seven years to perfect their portrayal of women doctors, so we expect them to have it right by now. But they have yet to have a female physician who totally pushes the envelope, challenging authority figures, acting like a know-it-all and stomping off in a huff when things don't go her way. A female Doug Ross would be "must-see TV."

On that point, "Strong Medicine" scores. In a continuing story element, Dr. Delgado leads a chat group that touches on female health issues you likely wouldn't see discussed on network television. She knows no reserve and bucks the system every chance she gets. Granted, she's a bit over the top, but viewers admire her and, of course, hope their doctor would go to bat for them in the same way.

Because "Strong Medicine" and "Gideon's Crossing" are first-year dramas, it's not totally fair to stack them against the more seasoned "ER." Nevertheless, "Gideon's Crossing" especially could learn some lessons from the well-rounded "ER" cast.

Will they be given the chance? Stay tuned. Only time and ratings will tell.

Note: This column originally appeared in print as "15 Minutes."

Booth, a former Professional Issues editor, is now studying law. To comment on this column contact Professional Issues Editor Damon Adams by email (damon.adams@ama-assn.org) or at 312-464-5411.