WOMEN IN HISTORY

Raise awareness of DOs by requesting PBS doc on your local station

Click copy, paste and send on this sample email to your local PBS station.

The Feminine Touch, a PBS documentary about the history of women in osteopathic medicine, was released in April by Florida’s West Coast Public Broadcasting (WEDU). The documentary is available for free online viewing and is up for syndication this fall.

You can help raise awareness of the documentary and its compelling first-hand historical accounts by requesting that the documentary be played on your local PBS station.

Karen Nichols, DO, who was featured in the documentary, says that since the release of The Feminine Touch, viewers have said they’re surprised to know someone who actually lived through the gender discrimination discussed in the film—because it seems so far-removed from the present day.

Karen Nichols, DO

“Students and residents have a heritage to be proud of,” says Dr. Nichols, an AOA past president who is also the dean of the Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. “Discrimination can occur anywhere and from any source. Aspiring physicians need to understand that discrimination must never be tolerated.”

The documentary provides a window into the ways women of the profession–and the profession itself–have earned their respective rights in the health care field.

Asking your local PBS station to air the documentary could help spread the word about osteopathic medicine and its rich history, including the early decision of Andrew Taylor Still, MD, DO, to include women and minorities in his first medical school.

Below is a sample email you can send to your local PBS station:

Dear [PBS Member Station name]:

The Feminine Touch documentary, produced by WEDU and released in April, tells the story of how Andrew Taylor Still, MD, DO, came to found osteopathic medicine in the 1800s and how his critical decision to include women and minorities in his medical school created an innovative, inclusive foundation for the osteopathic medical profession.

Doctors of osteopathic medicine, or DOs, believe there’s more to good health than the absence of pain or disease. As guardians of wellness, DOs focus on prevention by gaining a deeper understanding of their patients’ lifestyle and environment, rather than just treating symptoms.

Now, 125 years after the first osteopathic medical school opened, there are more than 100,000 osteopathic physicians in the nation practicing their distinct philosophy in every medical specialty. In addition, one in four of today’s medical students attends an osteopathic medical school.

Please help me to educate our local community about osteopathic medicine and the trail-blazing women in the DO profession by streaming The Feminine Touch on [PBS Member Station name].

Sincerely,

[Your name, title and contact information]

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