Book Review— The Feminine Touch: Women in
Osteopathic Medicine by Thomas A. Quinn, DO
Copyright © 2011 Truman State University Press
Rebecca Giusti, DO
Thomas Quinn has written a truly remarkable book.
He delves into the importance of women in the osteopathic
profession in purely eloquent and concise language. While
I feel that every osteopathic physician, and any female
applicant to an osteopathic medical school, should read
this book, it is applicable to anyone who wants a complete
education in all aspects of Osteopathy.
For those who have questions about the scarcity
of osteopathic hospitals compared to allopathic ones,
the infamous California merger and its
subsequent reversal, and the presence of
DOs in the armed forces, this is the book
for you. For those who desire a crash course
on the history of osteopathic medicine, A.T.
Still, and the formation of medical education
in this country, again, this is the book for
you!
The reader is treated to delightfully
readable accounts of notable female
osteopathic physicians, from the beginning
of the profession to the present day. Dr.
Quinn demonstrates how the evolution
of the osteopathic profession and women
became intertwined and inseparable as
Dr. Still welcomed them to the profession from the start.
Whether the reader is male or female, he or she cannot help
but admire the tenacity and strength of these women, and
the profession itself, and to be inspired by all they have
accomplished in the name of Osteopathy and humankind.
The many pictures and quotes—some from A.T. Still
himself—that Dr. Quinn has chosen for this book bring his
words to life. The glossary makes it complete and userfriendly
for all readers. The book itself truly embodies
the spirit of the team approach prevalent in all aspects of
medicine. Dr. Quinn recognizes not only female osteopathic
physicians and researchers, but also osteopathic nurses and
other influential women, such as patients, supporters and
other healthcare professionals who enabled the profession
to survive and flourish.
As a woman, an assistant professor at an osteopathic
medical school and an osteopathic physician, I greatly
appreciated this book. It intensified my pride in being part
of such a dedicated and noble profession, and in being a
female osteopathic physician. As physicians, it is easy
to get wrapped up in our lives at present—seeing our
patients, performing administrative duties and caring for
our families. But reading these pages drew me out of my
world and allowed me to wonder at and contemplate the
achievements of those who have gone before
me and my contemporaries. All of these
people are inspiring and renewed my desire
to be the best osteopathic physician I can be.
I wish I could have read something of
this nature prior to applying to osteopathic
medical school, as I feel it would have
made my knowledge and respect for
this profession even deeper. It was a
quick read—important for all of us busy
physicians—but it gave me greater insight
into the profession, the evolution of medical
education and the contributions of members
of my gender. I am grateful to Dr. Quinn
for providing such a well-organized, wellresearched
gem, and I will definitely recommend this book
to our osteopathic medical school applicants, as well as
currently enrolled students.
Accepted for publication: May 2011
Address correspondence to:
Rebecca Giusti, DO
regiusti@juno.com
