“Doctors Wanted: No Women Need Apply” by M. Walsh Essay (Critical Writing)

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Updated: Mar 9th, 2024

Introduction

The book “Doctors Wanted: No Women Need Apply” written by Mary Roth Walsh, was published in 1977, being the first massive amount of literature available regarding the history of women in American medicine. It is about the status women had, being in the medical profession, from the period of 1835 to 1975. Men and women have both been a part of the medical field, but women have had to face barriers, and their treatment in their profession has been assessed and analyzed in Mary’s book.

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Ever since this publication, the topic of women in the field of American medicine has become a national and even international subject of discussion. The book is a readable piece of literature, is fascinating and well-researched. It contains valuable matter relating to relationships of male and female medical practitioners, and tells us of the women’s rights movements of the nineteenth century. Men and women have never exercised equal freedom or status, no matter how hard they work.

Main body

Men have always been declared and considered superior beings to women, even if the women can do equal shares of work or possess equal amounts of talent. This book focuses on the inequality of women basically, and is indicative of the fact that even if women gain so much knowledge as to become qualified and practicing doctors, they will never be highly regarded or appreciated. They will still be the lower and inferior class as compared to their male counterparts.

The book is a good reference for students of women’s studies and social and intellectual studies. It contains reading material that may prove beneficial for scholars in medicine too. The material Walsh has produced is an ideal study for those interested in the discovery of female physicians. The facts she has mentioned are worthy as being symbolic of feminism and is informative for today’s feminists. It is all in favour of the rights women should be given, and this will be especially appreciated by all females, as lack of women’s rights is an ongoing issue in the world. All female readers would be pleased to go through the text, and the points given which they may also have encrypted in their minds, but never got a chance to voice out.

Feminism is a topic that took root since the beginning of time immemorial. Men have since eons been the dominating sex and have always enjoyed supremacy over the other gender. This is prevalent more in certain areas of the world like the third world countries, and lesser in the advanced regions. Nevertheless, even if women try to exercise their powers over men, they will still be shunned at the end of the day. They will be deteriorated morally and assaulted physically.

The title of Walsh’s book also makes one depict that women are inferior to men and they cannot experience the elevated position that men may. It shows the reputation a woman will have if she joins the medical profession or a medical institution, as women are not considered well or even worthy doctors, despite their intense struggle through the educational career they also face, as do their male colleagues. The efforts they put in are ignored, and the knowledge gained by the males is given due credit. This signifies the differences between men and women. The author has shown us that even in one of the highest regarded professions such as medicine; the female gender has no value whatsoever.

There can never be a balance between the male and female anyway, and it is absolutely impossible in the medical field. The book is a good historical analysis. It is organized very articulately, featuring women and the ambitions and aptitudes they possessed for so many years. It shows how women were refrained from exercising power, even as doctors. There are sociological sophisticated arguments and useful data apart from useful conclusions in the book.

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One noteworthy reference from the book is the Boston case study. All other reading matter is also beneficial for people who are interested in professions and sexual inequality topics. The references and reasoning given in the book seem very useful in describing the nineteenth century trends in the United States. One thing that is missing in the book is a critical essay on the sources of the literary matter.

Walsh claims that the suppression of the female members of the medical profession is carried out deliberately, and a conscious effort was always made to keep the women at a lower level, by the men. This was done in order to lower their number for enrolment into the medical profession, and was based on economical and psychological motives. The feminist movement began in the nineteenth century, but was of no use to the female gender, as even till today, the women have not been able to make a powerful stand in medical institutions. Walsh declares that unless great effort is put in, this male empowerment is likely to stay in the society.

The book has some repetition in it, related to certain themes, which is considered a negative aspect; otherwise the whole piece of information is very functional for those supporting women. It favours women throughout, as there is a strong belief of the author herself in the female gender. She believes all can be done by women but the need for confidence and backing up remains. This is where they fail to bring themselves a name, even after becoming full fledged practicing doctors. It should be read by doctors of today as well, who would attain knowledge of the constraints and beliefs of our society in this era.

Walsh focuses on the issues about women’s respect and friendship with other women of same profession or simply their colleagues. Here the writer stresses about her reflection on the intellectual freedom. Everyone values love and friendship. It is not always possible to attain certain perfection in style or that woman writers should not write in masculine way. Woman writers normally working from their home and mostly busy with their kids can afford only little time to their writing or any other profession.

Many author’s responses towards Mary Walsh, who criticized many past female authors that have succeeded in the style they adopted, masculine in terms of standards and messages. However, Walsh compiling wit& claims, on strong patterns, indeed this work may be seen as the reflections or ramblings of an everyday woman, yet is it still successful in the way it conveys a message h any traditional standards, she has a style of her own. There are no rigid statements.

In that era, woman, in general, were subject to man’s superiority and specifically slave woman were the victim of their masters, even in the enactment of law she had no right to voice her opinions, likes, dislikes or to live her life according to her own wishes. She was subject to any type of violent and abusive behavior by her masters. Lack of protection to their rights by law enforcement gave much bravery and authority to males over their female counterparts.

Such deficiencies in law at that time surrounded the female in medical profession with fetters and disabilities, her very basic and natural rights were unguarded, and her liberty was unacknowledged. She was not allowed to process her separate interest. Not realizing the existence of these professional women as an individual or their own, the law gave her no independent possession. Law being supportive for the supremacy of male professionals, it did not allow them to prosper in their field. It was the law of the strongest.

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Conclusion

Most women were also quiet because not only that this was an acceptable thing but they were receiving a lot benefits like money and additional remuneration. Daughters or wives were solely dependent on their fathers and husbands. To voice against them meant to deprive themselves of all those benefits they were receiving.

These female professionals became a long worthy investments for medical profession. Female professionals were considered less powerful to resist any type injustice and bad attitude from their superiors. Because they were considered less powerful to put any hurdles against their counterparts, they were thrown right back to deny them of their rights.

The book is overall less descriptive but clearly points the females were facing in medical profession.

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IvyPanda. 2024. "“Doctors Wanted: No Women Need Apply” by M. Walsh." March 9, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/doctors-wanted-no-women-need-apply-by-m-walsh/.

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