"Doc Martin"-Life is our Greatest Possession and Love its Greatest Affirmation: Dr. Leo Buscaglia

Medicine Needs More Individuals like Doc Martin

Look Beyond His Brash Exterior and Find the Heart of Medicine

DH DeForge, VMD

"Life is our Greatest Possession and Love Its Greatest Affirmation"

Dr. Leo Buscaglia

Extracted from Wickipedia: 30March2014

Dr. Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes), a brilliant and successful vascular surgeon at Imperial College London, develops haemophobia (a fear of blood), forcing him to stop practising surgery. He obtains a post as the general practitioner (GP) in the sleepy Cornish village of Portwenn, where he spent childhood holidays with his Aunt Joan (Stephanie Cole). Upon arriving in Portwenn, Ellingham - whom, to his frustration, the locals address as "Doc Martin" - finds the surgery in disarray. He inherits an incompetent receptionist, Elaine Denham (Lucy Punch). In series 2-4, Pauline Lamb (Katherine Parkinson), a new receptionist and later phlebotomist, replaces Elaine. In 2011, Morwenna Newcross (Jessica Ransom) takes up the post.

The show revolves around Ellingham's interactions with the local Cornish villagers. Despite his medical brilliance, Ellingham is gruff, ill-mannered, and lacks social skills. His cold, abrasive manner offends many of the villagers. They perceive him to be short-tempered and lacking in a bedside manner, whereas he feels he is performing his duties in a professional and no-nonsense manner, not wasting time chatting with the villagers. The villagers eventually discover his fear of blood and the frequent and debilitating bouts of nausea and vomiting it causes. Ellingham's aunt, Joan Norton, provides emotional support in the face of the disquiet his abrupt manner causes among the villagers. Ellingham also finds it difficult to express his romantic feelings to primary school teacher Louisa Glasson (Caroline Catz), often spoiling a rare tender moment with, for example, a comment about an unpleasant medical condition or requesting a stool sample.

Doc Martin hides behind a gruff manner and cold abrasive words.  Inside he is gentle, kind, and a brilliant doctor.

He has a child with Louisa Glasson and marries her in this year's series.  Louisa can see through this very tough "Doc" and loves him dearly even though at times she is hurt by his defense system of pushing people away.

More doctors should be like "Doc Martin".....not in the concept of poor bedside manner or lack of social skills but in their love of their work and their compassion for the sick, the lonely, and those without hope.  Many cannot sit and watch the show Doc Martin because of its slow movement, British tones, and slow pace of action.  We must learn from the British.... member we were once British......and enjoy the quality of this special programming with the doctor who needs help from his patients to help those patients.  

I grew up in a home of great love with a strong nuclear family.  Caring, sharing, and helping others were the qualities that I was taught by my parents.  As a veterinarian, I want to be more like "Doc Martin" as part of  his inner self without the exterior facade of coldness.

Medicine has lost the "Doc Martins", the country doctors, who were always there to listen and to help.  It has been replaced by medical economics, bottom lines, and profit margins.  I am not saying that the human physicians and veterinarians who really care have disappeared but I do think the decline which started a quarter of a century ago continues to decline.  I applaud the sophistication of medicine in 2014 and the saving of lives.  I applaud the knowledge of specialists in human and veterinary medicine.  That is all terrific.  What I do not applaud is the separation of the patient from the doctor and the patient becoming just "another case"!  That is wrong!

Martin Clunes is a special actor.  His facial expressions which always are made to show gruffness cannot hide his inner self of true compassion and love.  [See photos of Martin with his baby on the program].  If you scratch the surface of this program you see a country doctor alienating his patients and acting like a royal pain.  Take a moment and look for the doctor that I see in this show.   He is a special man who cares.

Even better find "Doc Martin" within yourself.  Maybe you, too, are hiding in an abrasive outer core and cannot get close to people.  We all live as imperfect creatures seeking to be better people.  My mentor Leo Buscaglia taught me this: "We need not be afraid to touch, to feel, and to show emotion.  The easiest thing in the world is to be what you are; what you feel.  The hardest thing to be is what other people want you to be.  Don't let them put you in that position."

Dr. DeForge welcomes comments to his Blogs at:

DoctorDeForge@yahoo.com

30March2014