Unit-1-Lin-Qiaozhi

LinQiaozhi—GuardianAngelofMothers,BabiesDecember06,2007ChangeTextSizeAAAHermotherdiedwhenshewasachild,butshestillgrewupwithastrongsenseofloveformothers.Shenevermarriedandshenevergavebirth,butshehelpedbringmanybabiesintotheworld.ShewasthefirstwomantobeacknowledgedbythescientificcommunityinChina.ShewasagiantinobstetricsandgenecologyinChina,andhermottowas:I'dliketobeagooddoctorratherthanahigh-levelgovernmentofficial.ShewasLinQiaozhi.LinQiaozhiwasborninGulangyu,asmall,world-famousislandcommonlyreferredtoasagardenonthesea,inXiamen,FujianProvince,onDecember23,1901.Whenshewasfiveyearsold,hermotherdiedofcervicalcancer.Lineventuallyrealizedthesadnessthatwomen'sillnessescouldbringtotheirfamilies,andtheinfluencethatwomen'shealthcouldhaveontheirchildren.IfIwereamagicaldoctor,I'dsurelysavemymother'slife,littleLinmurmuredtoherselfinthepresenceofherfather.Shebegandevelopinganinterestinmedicine.'I'dRatherStaySingletoStudyAllMyLife!'Inthesummerof1920,whenLinwas18andaftershehadgraduatedfromXiamenWomen'sTeacher-trainingSchool,shereachedthecrossroadsinherlife:Shehadtodecidewhethertostudyabroadorgetmarriedandcontinuetostudyathome.Sheknewaboutthefirst-classmedicalschoolofAsia,theUnionMedicalUniversitybasedinPeking,whichwassponsoredbytheUS-basedRockefellerFoundation.Linwasattractedtotheschoolbyitsfullrangeofcourses,advancedequipment,excellentfacultyand,mostespecially,itshighacademicstandards.Lindecidedtotaketheschool'sentranceexamination.Thelengthoftheprogram—eightyears—andthehightuitionfeespromptedoneofherbrotherstocomplain.Whyshouldgirlslearnsomuch?heasked.Findingagoodhusbandshouldbetheirfinalgoal.Linwasannoyedbyhiswords.I'dratherstaysingletostudyallmylife!sheretorted.Linreceivedsupportfrombothherfatherandheroldestbrother.Duringtheentranceexam,heldinShanghai,aprospectivestudent,whohadbeenLin'sclassmate,lostconsciousnessasaresultofheatstrokeandnervousness.Linstoppedwritingtheexamtohelp.Assistedbyanotherclassmate,Lincarriedtheunconsciouspersontoacoolplace,unbuttonedherstudandplacedacoldtowelonherforehead.Linalsocalledthevictim'ssister,whowasinShanghai.Linremainedcalm,coolandcollected.Twoweekslater,Linenrolledintheschool.Herhighscoreontheexam,herfluentEnglishandherabilitytocopewithemergencieshadimpressedtheexaminers.Linwasadiligentstudent.Inherfifthyear,Lin'sfatherdiedfromacerebralhemorrhage.Heleftherverylittlemoney.Shethoughtaboutquittingschooluntilheroldestbrotherandsister-in-lawofferedherfinancialsupport.Eightyearsofhardworkpaidoff:LinreceivedtheWenhaiScholarship,thehighestprizeawardedtooneoftheuniversity'sgraduates.ChairmanMaoZedongmetLinQiaozhi.Inthesummerof1929,Linwasfilledwithjoy—shewasthefirstwomanhiredasaresidentphysicianatUnionHospital'sDepartmentofObstetricsandGynecology,whichiswhatshehadhopedfor.Sheworkedveryhard.Shealwayscarriedasmallnotebook,inwhichtomakenotesandrefertomedicalinformation.Shespentdaysandnightstakingcareofpatients,voluntarily,andshepaidcloseattentiontohersuperiors.Aftersixmonths,Linwasnamedchiefresidentphysician.Thatwasaremarkableaccomplishment,asitgenerallytookatleastfouryearsforsomeonetoreachthatposition.Duetoheroutstandingwork,heremployersentLin,inJuly1932,tostudyatmedicalschoolsinManchesterandLondon,intheUnitedKingdom.Thefollowingyear,heremployersenthertoVienna,Austria,tostudy.ShortlyaftershearrivedinVienna,senioradministratorsatUnionHospitaltoldher,inatelegram,tochangeherspecialtytopublichealth.Shebelievedthetelegramhadbeensentbecauseadministratorsatherhospitaldiscriminatedagainstwomen.Lindidn'tgiveup;shewantedtosetagoodexampleforwomen.Inherreply,shestatedtheimportanceofherspecialty,andheropinion,andsheconvincedherbossestolethercontinueinherfield.InJuly1935,at34,Linbecamebothalecturerandchiefphysician.Lin'sstyleofdresswastypicaloftheclothesthatadultChinesewomenworeinthosedays.First,Linwouldbrushherlong,thickblackhairintoabun,andshewouldwearsimple,yetelegant,cheongsamsandflatclothshoes.Shenevertalkedaboutmarriage,asshewantedtohonorherpledgeofstayingsingle.Shewasdevotedtocaringforherpatients.Inanyevent,thehospitalwouldn'tallowfemalephysicianstomarry.StillWaterRunsDeepOnJuly7,1937,theAnti-JapaneseWarbrokeout.Twenty-threedayslater,PekingwasoccupiedbyJapaneseintruders.Atthattime,Linwasanassociateprofessor.Shehadbecomeacquaintedwithaspecialpatient,Bingxin(thepennameofXieWanying),thefamouswriter.BingxinwasimpressedbyLin'sabilitytothinkandactquickly.Theybecamegoodfriends.Later,inoneofherarticles,Bingxinwrote:Withnimblehands,Linhelpedgivebirthtothousandsofbabies;shenotonlyhelpedthebabiesseetheworld,butshealsoguidedtheirparentsonhowtonourishtheirchildrenwithlimitedfoodsupplies.Shehelpednurturenumerousfightersofthenation!InSeptember1939,LinreceivedagrantfromherhospitalandshewenttotheUnitedStatestostudy.IntheobstetricsandgynecologylaboratoryaffiliatedwiththeMedicalSchoolofChicagoUniversity,Lincontinuedherresearchintotherelationshipbetweencontractionsofthewombandthebreathingofthefetus.Duetoheroutstandingachievements,herphotowasdisplayedinthecorridorsoftheteachingbuilding,whichwasanhonor.Thefollowingyear,shewas