A Woman’s Place

[Music] dr katie turner i'll see about it oh jenny [Music] scott i don't even have a voice in the decision i'm simply the administrator look bernie as i said i didn't expect to be appointed senior surgeon but a woman all i know is that four names were submitted to our board of directors all nationally known surgeons all eminently qualified from what i hear was a difficult choice but dr davison got the nod i don't suppose the fact that until now we've had no woman on the executive staff had anything to do with it scott i wouldn't want to accuse you of all people of prejudice if you're hitting dr davidson was selected as a token our token woman you're mistaken she's a superb surgeon and a top-notch administrator she comes highly recommended and i expect the staff to cooperate with her in every way well they made their appointment oh finally our new chief surgeon will be a dr davidson dr dr sarah davidson what's this uh a woman has cheapest surgery yes that's all right well what do you know about her nothing well what's so bad about having another woman on the staff they'll give you someone to uh trade uh lipstick quick stop kidding it's not funny maybe uh maybe joyce knows something i'll find out oh i will not work under a woman no i just won't they're they're bossy and they're unreasonable and most of their judgments are based on emotion no no no even my husband will testify to that and what's worthy they just throw their weight around and makes you feel like two hold on a minute if anyone should have a gripe it's me as junior surgeon i have to work directly under her and i don't relish taking orders from a female women in medicine are a pain in the neck present company excluded honey anyway i'm a gynecologist and gynecology and pediatrics well that's okay after all some female patients do feel more comfortable with a woman doctor but general surgery that's a man's field it always has been and always will be thank you well stokely secretary knows little something about this davidson and she filled me in as a surgeon she's good maybe the best about 35 single and uh so like i said before that's all right [Laughter] [Music] thanks what where the women's live and the era i'm never sure anymore whether to open a door for a lady or not oh no big deal and under the circumstances i would have done the same for you uh there were two things i wanted to discuss with you first i spent this morning taking a look at the surgical supplies and there are a couple of brand new forceps on the market i'm partial to and a really great needle holder you don't stock is it all right if i requisition them and another thing i'd like to try a new program for the rotation training of surgical nurses i've developed a program that cuts costs and increases efficiency a good 10 and if um if i'm out of line let's talk about it okay your position here gives you that authority dr davidson call me sarah all right if i call you bernie bernie i don't want to cause any problems so dr davidson you're creating problems just by being here i think you should know that if it had been up to me you wouldn't be here at all oh really why is that because you're a woman that's why i know you can't help that and i understand you're a very fine surgeon but don't you understand you're causing waves you can't believe the flack i'm getting from the rest of the staff dr turner for instance she's already put me on notice that she has no intention of working under a woman oh and uh i think i should tell you that you're going to have to tread pretty softly with dr strickland as i said you've got a real problem you're wrong bernie you said it i am a good surgeon i'm capable of filling this job and that's what counts so um the way i see it if my being a woman's the problem it's their problem not mine well in any event i'll help all i can oh wonderful i am i thought maybe i'd have a little get together at my new apartment on sunday night could you and mrs stokely come we'd be delighted great almost finished nice job doctor we make a good team okay let's get on with the closing i'll suture you tie and cut i want to use 3-0 steel for the closing steel wire i prefer number three nylon for a closing dr davidson sorry doctor i have this thing about cholecystectomies steel makes a stronger closing i've done a number of these procedures with dr barnes he always used nylon could be suture but it makes it easy sorry doctor it's my responsibility we'll use the wire you pulling rank on me yes doctor i suppose i am hey you look like you could eat nails wire steel wire i just finished a procedure with dr davidson she insisted on closing with steel wire so it was a cholecystectomy it took twice as long all the ends had to be bent in i ruined a pair of rubber gloves how did it go otherwise okay and removing those stitches guess who's going to get that job you know in the medical journal i read an article that wire or the new metal clips is preferred procedure now i haven't had the occasion to use them yet but is wire really that much trouble i don't know maybe not i guess dr davidson just rubs me the wrong way hey you're going to a party aren't you yeah [Music] gosh i'm so glad you could come can i offer you some taquitos this guacamole sausage is really special thank you good thank you can i help you something else no thank you you're sure now come on even world-renowned physicists have to eat please i'm fine you bet i haven't tasted the likes of these since i lived in mexico city i didn't know you lived in mexico do you speak spanish yes i had to learn and learn in a hurry you see when scott got ready to begin his medical training all the schools in this country were overcrowded even though his grades and his recommendations were excellent still he kept getting turned down over and over it got to be panic time and finally his only choice was to go to medical school in mexico city eventually i transferred back to the states by the third year my class really thinned out and the usual dropouts the yo-yos who couldn't hack it and the dames who only enroll as a joke or to find a husband and once they did they'd left had babies what a waste in the medical school that i went to uh we had dropouts too the same thing you know some just changed their mind and some couldn't make it but they were evenly divided between uh men and women i'd say some european countries have the right idea until recently they banned women from medicine entirely after all you know it is a man's field sir julius i am i guess you do have a right to your opinion and i guess there are some occupations where brawn and physical strength might give man an edge over women but surgery isn't one of them i can do anything in a surgical suite that a man can do and do it equally well well women are inferior you know even the bible says so the bible show me just show me where it says that well uh i can't put my finger on that particular passage right this way you can't because it isn't there sir julius you're one of the most eminent physicists in the world and i have nothing but the highest regard for your work but when it comes to 20th century lifestyles you're living in the dark ages i um i have a an early appointment tomorrow uh come along my dear we'd better leave [Music] well nobody can say the party was a rousing success forget it come on let's clean up this mess huh no don't bother i'll tackle it in the morning no way i'm not gonna leave you with all this come on let's just get at it we'll be done a couple of minutes okay the cream goes in the top shelf of the fridge and the sugar in the cabinets clay what are you doing knock it off no you are one very attractive woman i'm really flattered but what's the bottom line what do you mean i mean um the hospital is teeming with hot little lollipops your own age so what do you want from me i'm telling you it's not like that at all okay i'll wash you dry okay i um i understand you've applied for the residency opening at community hospital oh you bet i'd give anything to land that appointment and uh all you need is a recommendation from me yeah that's right and that accounts for the kazanova bit i'm telling you it's not like that at all even if it was you know it's a sense you can get where you're at by not throwing around what you've got you know all my life i've had to put up with remarks and innuendos like that and i'm pretty sick of it clay when i was when i was chosen high school valedictorian i didn't seduce the male teachers and you know when i was accepted at medical school guess what i didn't sleep with the admissions officer oh clay that's not the way it is don't give me that jazz just take mrs bartlett how do you think she got to be nursing supervisor do you think she and dr andrews have been playing bris two nights a week for the past five years it doesn't happen some people lie and some people cheat and others just use what they've got intelligence talent and sexuality and speaking of sexuality where do you get off pointing a finger at women what was that little bit a minute ago you know if you do get that residency at community you're going to have to deal with being the handsomest sexiest resident communities ever had truce when it comes to matching wits so i know when i've had it score one for you doctor you are one smart broad oh no broad broad he calls me clay go home out chauvinist gynecology dr turner's office right i understand i'll tell her bye-bye hi i um really would like to apologize for last evening natural junior should not have well i am sorry well it's really all right i got a little hot myself how about lunch oh no i um well uh oh i have um i have a consultation at um noon and it's something did you forget it was canceled it's rescheduled for wednesday the omelet sounds good oh betty what's the matter pain in the lower back only when i bend over but it's okay it's okay now i had to check down oh sure it's a pulled muscle probably from planting tulip bug julius bought a whole bag of them he thinks i enjoy gardening he's still convinced that i'm a frustrated homebody are you i don't think that concerns you betty um we're going to be working together if uh something's bothering you bugging you let's talk about it okay i don't know what you mean you know um when i first came here bernie stokely warned me he said there'd be passive resistance what he didn't say is it would be passive resistance that would make mahatma gandhi look like an amateur if i'm going to be resented i want to know why i guess you're right i do resent you sarah no no that's not it i guess if i'm going to be honest with myself i i'd have to admit that it's not you exactly it's it's what you represent when i first chose medicine as a career more than anything else i wanted to be a general surgeon but 25 years ago it was unthinkable for a woman almost indecent public opinion and the resistance in the profession made it insurmountable no way jealousy that's what it is i'm jealous of you you accomplish something i never could [Music] it's hard to forgive you for that oh but betty don't you see it wasn't you it's just the difference in time nowadays women can do anything they're capable of doing well sure i'm proud of being a surgeon but it doesn't make any difference whether i'm a man or a woman i want to be respected as a doctor and i want to be liked as a person now that was fun let's do it again how about next week wonderful i'd love to bye finally what is this must affection or dereliction to duty worse 5 30 dinner time for the patients you don't get far trying to make rounds dodging food carts in the corridor i just sit and wait it out me too i was on my way to room for 12 to remove some stitches but she'll just have to wait until after they pick her trail speaking of stitches guess who did it again who dr davidson who else what's she done this time her and her wire closings and another thing she delayed surgery on the conner's kid this morning until the o.r temperature was raised we didn't get started till 8 30. i heard about it just a precaution scotch he's going by the book you know he lost us greater in youngsters during surgery but it doesn't make that much difference maybe not but in the or she's the boss hi hello sarah uh mrs blake's temperature's up just a little i'd say it's an allergy to the anesthesia but let's watch her okay dr davidson i'll be right there boy what a waste she is some dish but you gotta give her one thing she's really on the ball i will never get used to working with a woman not as my superior not as an equal it grates on me it makes me uncomfortable i don't like it and i never will i like her to tell you the truth i don't know how i feel about her but one thing is for sure women doing any job they're capable of doing it's the coming thing you ask me it's already here and we'd better get used to it [Music] you