This Side of Doctoring: Reflections from Women in Medicine

by Eliza Lo Chin (Editor)

Throughout history women have practiced the art of medicine and healing. Yet they have always faced difficulties in the medical profession--not only have they struggled to gain acceptance from their male colleagues, they have also struggled to find a balance between being a doctor and being a wife and mother.
Here, in This Side of Doctoring Eliza Lo Chin offers a penetrating analysis of what it's like to be a woman in the highly competitive field of medicine. Written over the last century and a half, this collection of personal stories, poems, essays, and quotations reveals the intimate lives of over a hundred female physicians. There are touching testimonies from early 19th-century medical pioneers like Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to graduate from medical school and Harriet Hunt, who had her own practice that catered to women and children yet was never formally trained, to modern-day medical students and doctors.
Poignant and compelling, these narratives offer insights into the struggles and triumphs of women in medicine. Much like an American quilt, this book is a unique and richly textured patchwork of each woman's extraordinary life and career. This assemblage of so many different voices exemplifies the varied paths that women have created within the medical profession. Together they stand as an enduring tribute to the dedication of all women physicians to both their patients and their families.
"These accounts of doctoring and family concerns are universal enough to transcend gender in relationships with patients and colleagues, balancing work and family, and finding meaning in one's profession.... For those looking for a compendium of experiences that document the lives of a diverse cross-section of women in US medicine, This Side of Doctoring is a fine addition to the literature."-- The Journal of the American Medical Association

Genres: Medicine, Medical, Nonfiction, Biography, History

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Alisa Duran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories about women in medicine. I can relate to all of these. They cover topics that we all deal with including balancing home and work responsibilities A must read for any woman in medicine

[Mark Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quarter the way through. Compelling and revealing in the early going. What women have faced over the years as they entered once male-dominated professions. Exemplars, these women, the best and brightest breaking down barriers. My primary care physician is a woman, and she's one of the grandest physicians on the planet, and when I asked her for book recommendations, this book headed the list.

Finished it today, August 28th.

Stirring. Honestly, the world continues to be made over. After reading this anthology it's clear what the trail blazers and their immediate followers were able to do. Our culture has changed, the world has changed. As Simone de Beauvoir once wrote, freedom and equality will come when women are "physically present" in all walks of life.

Of course, there's more to do, more changes to be made as men and women connect, cooperate and love each other as equals.

Am with Max on this one:

Women in medicine. I don’t know, I have to come back round to my first moment with Camille. It wasn’t “lust” or “sexual attraction” or even the thought of “romance” it was her warm-heartedness and kindness amidst the expertise. Her efficiency and excellence was hedged all round with a loving empathy, it’s something she does day to day, it’s who she is.

http://www.apartinthemidstof.com/curr...

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of all time - I can read it over and over and over and over and never get sick of it. It is compiled of short essays from a myriad of female physicians, focusing on different aspects and times of their lives and careers as both mothers and doctors - and as women in such a male-dominated field.

[Kara Larson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brought much of medical school and residency back in a very real way for me. Although my partner and I chose not to become mothers until I was in private practice, the struggle for balance between Mama and Doctor Larson continues... This book helped me appreciate the wisdom of others and take comfort in the fact that I am not alone.

[Kate Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will help me through medical school and after.