Class of '77 — Diverse Backgrounds and More Women
Medical Freshmen Begin the Long Haul
Did you know that the first woman
doctor cut her hair, disguised herself as a
man, recjived a medical degree from the
University of Edinburgh in 1812 at the age
of 15 and kept the secret of her sex with
her until she died?
Did you know that the first woman to
graduate as a woman from a medical
college was a naturalized* American
citizen who had difficulty obtaining her
degree although she had the highest
marks in her class?
And did you know that the first
woman doctors, meeting great resistance
while trying to establish their practices,
were frequently slandered with charges of
being "mesmerists," "clairvoyants," or
even "streetwalkers"?
Indeed, the times have changed since
those dark days of the mid-Nineteenth
Century, and if statistics give any
indication, they're still changing.
There will be 400 per cent more
women doctors graduating from medical
school at Duke when this year's class of
entering freshmen finishes its
undergraduate medical studies in 1977
than when the class of 1974 graduates
next June.
This year 32 women have accepted
admission to the School of Medicine.
That's almost twice as many as last year
and four times as many as 1970.
Dr. Suydam Osterhout, professor of
medicine and microbiology and associate
director for medical sctiool admissions.
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VOLUME 20, NUMBER 37
SEPTEMBER 14, 1973
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
9
^ W i
Nurses Seek Relevance to Societal Needs
Ninety-nine freshmen have begun their
course of study in the School of Nursing.
This class, the largest to be admitted to
date, represents an increase of seven over
last year's incoming class of 92.
In addition, 22 students have been
admitted as transfers into the sophomore
and junior years. Twelve of the transfers
are from Trinity College and of the
remaining 10, one is a male student from
Port Vue, Pa.
According to Dr. Ruby L. Wilson,
dean of the school, "The increasing
demand of students for an educational
program relevant to perceived needs of
society has been reflected in not only the
number of applicants to the School of
Nursing but in the low attrition rate once
they are admitted."
The freshman students come from 21
states, and one is from Japan. New Jersey
has the largest state representation of 22.
New York and Maryland follow with 13
and 10 respectively.
There are seven students from North
Carolina. They include: Wanda Sue Andrews of
Durham; Linda J. Bowden of Henderson; Ola
Beth Daniel of Smithfield; Miriam K. Jernigan
of Dudley; Dianne Johnson of Charlotte;
Connie L. King of Roanoke Rapids; and Peggy
A. Wright of Hendersonville.
Constance Lambur is from Sagamihara Shi,
Japan.
Other students are from:
CALIFORNfA-Margaret Ann Roberts of
Saratoga.
CONNECTICUT—Laura K. Englund of New
Canaan; Deborah B. Hennessy of Greenwich;
Deborah A. Schwengel of Enfield; Kim P.
Spalthoff of Riverside; and Laura P. Steward of
Brookfield Center
DELAWARE —Lois M. Heckmann of
Newark.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-Kathleen M.
Bauman and Su/anne Nugent of Washington.
FLORIDA —Elizabeth F. Baldwin of Coral
Gables and Carol Ann Biit ol Jacksonville.
ILLINOIS-Darcy E. Lewis ol Wilmette and
Pamela S. Palmer ol Westmonl
KANSAS-Holly Cullisoii of Overland Paik.
LOUISIANA Alicia M, Gon/ale/ of New
Ol leans
MARYLAND Susan Jane Dallas, Susan E.
Morris aiKl Bienda K. Ronk of Salisbury; Susan
A. Fiishy of Chevy Ch.ise; Hannah B. Haiiisoi
Ballimoie; Join M. Light of Cunibi'rUiiul; Caiol
Ann Millei ol Rockvillt’; Del)0'ah S. Peck ol'
Westmmstei; Sus.m E. Recloi ol Gaithershuig;
anti Fii^d.1 L. Shillingei ol Hageistown
MASSACHUSETTS Susan E. Caii'y ol
Hingham; Mary S. Choios/y and Dale Eastnuiii
ol Newtoiiville; MtMinda J Kat/man ol Fall
Rivei; and Anne C. Young ol Chelsea.
MICHIGAN Julie A. Remiei ol Gu)sse
Pointe Woods
MISSOURI Victona Eiickscin ol Kansas
City
NEW JERSEY Chrislini- A. Basi'i aiul
Cynlhia A. Jaiii'ti ol Westlii'ld; Linda A.
l3|oi nstad, K.ithiyn I.. West and Aiint* E Winch
(Continued on page 2)
IT'S A MATTER OF TRADITION, AND GOOD LUCK-Shen^ Pogmdre of
Middlefield, Conn., a senior in the School of Nursing, explains to two freshman
nursing students that rubbing the nose of Louis Pasteur is a long-held gesture of good
luck practiced by Duke nursing students over the years. The members of the entering
class are Sue Frederick (left) of Rock Hill, S.C., and Anne Young of Boston, Mass. For
many years the Pasteur bust was in the lobby of the Davison Building. Following a
renovation of that area, the bust was moved to the short hallway connecting the main
lobby with the medical center's main corridor where it can be seen and admired by
more people. (Photo by Dale Moses)
attributed the rise in the number of
female admissions to the rise in the
number of women seeking higher
education in medicine.
"In the past," he said, "medical
schools were subject to the same sort of
ideas which permeated our society, and
one of these ideas was that the wonfian's
place was in the home. Now more women
than ever before are applying to medical
school, and I might add that their
qualifications are excellent.
"It wouldn't be right for these women
to be denied admission because of their
sex," he added.
Like last year, there has been a large
increase in the total number of
applications to the School of Medicine.
Duke received 3,621 applications this
year for 114 openings in its school—twice
as many as it received in 1970.
The students come from 31 states, the
District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
North Carolina has the largest
representation with 28, while New York
follows with 17. California and New
Jersey have contributed seven students
each. Twenty-three members of the class
are Duke graduates.
Included in this year's class are eight
students who are in the Medical Scientist
Training Program, a course of study
which enables the students to earn both
an M.D. degree and a Ph.D. in one of the
basic sciences in six to seven years.
In addition to Duke's reputation for
having an innovative curriculum and a
strong medical research program,
Osterhout cited the environment around
North Carolina's Piedmont as an
increasingly important factor for the
students' choosing to apply to Duke.
Eight of the 28 North Carolina
students in the new class are women.
The North Carolinians are;
Beverly S. Adams, Marjorie A. Boeck,
Robert Burgess Bressler, Edward G. Buckley,
Ralph Lawrence Ely III, Robert D. Francis,
Gail Hurd Gallemore, Richard Krull, W. Paul
Nichol and Linda Gage White, all from Durhanrt.
Robert Lee Bloomfield, Sarah F. Wilkerson
and Henry S. Willis III of Chapel Hill; Paul P.
Gilbert of Statesville; Larry C. Harris of
Fayetteville; Lawrence B. Holt Jr. of
Winston-Salem; Claude LeBernian Hughes Jr. of
New Bern; Marvin E. Lymberis and Olivia Diane
Stinson of Charlotte; Gary Michael Miller of
Jefferson.
James W. McGinnis Jr. and Dannie L.
Steward of Cary; Wendy Carol Paulson of Camp
Lejeune; Robert B. Stanley Jr. of High Point;
(Continued on page 3)
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Two Symposia in Ob-Gyn
To Attract 350 Physicians
MOVING TO MED CENTER Duke
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Some 350 physicians from acioss the
nation will gather at Duke next week to
attend two symposia being s|)onsorecl by
the Department of Ohstettics-
Gynecology.
The fit St will be the Angus M.
McBiyde Perinatal Svmposium
Wednesday and Thursday sponsored i)y
the Division of Peiinatal Medicine. Moie
than 200 obsteti icians, gynecologists,
podialiicians and family physicians from
Noith Caiolina, South Catolina and
Vii fjinia at(! ox|)ected to attend.
Thinsday lhiot.igh Sattitday the
Division of Oncology will sponsoi the
third Walter L. Ttn)iiias Symi)osium on
ijynecological canciM. Beiween 125 and
150 gynecologists ftoni as fat away as
California and Canada aie expecti'd to
attend.
All sessions foi both symposia will In'
held in the Hospital Amphitheatei.
The McBryde Symposium is being
CO sponsoted by the Mateinal and ChikI
Health Section of the Slate Boaid of
Health. The piesentations will include
such tofjics as cardio respiratory failure in
newbotns, hexachloi ophene bathing of
newborns, iTiaternal drug addiction, use
of oxygen on newborns, basic concepts of
eclampsia and detection and inanagetnent
of chronic fetal coinpromise.
The font guest faculty members will
be Jo Ann Goldman, an RN who is the
clinical specialist fot the High Risk Infant
(\lLitsery at Grady Memorial Hospital in
Atlanta; Di. Norman Talner, a pediatric
caidiologist from the Yalo University
School of Medicine; Dr. John C. Sinclair,
iliiectoi of the Newboin Division,
De()attment of Pediatrics at McMaster
University In Hamilton, Ont.; and Dr.
Ftedetick Ziispan, professor and
chairman of the Department of Obstetrics
anti Gynecology at Chicago Lying-In
Hospital at the University of Chicago.
Twenty Duke faculty members from
the Depaitments of Obstetrics and
Gynecology, Pediatrics, Ophthalmology,
Pathology and Surgery will also
p.iiticipate in the fjrogram.
(Continued on page 3)