The Dionne quintuplets legacy: establishing the "good doctor and his loyal nurse" image in American culture.

Fifty years ago, on May 28, 1934, in the wilds of rural :'-lorthern Ontario, Canada, the mi raculous birth of five identical baby girls had world-wide repe rcussions for the image of physicians and nurses . It also affected the economy of Canada; it affected the way people raised their children; it even affected, to Ih is very day , the nature of the physician· heroes portrayed in movies and tdcvision series . Viewers growing up in the 19605, '70s, and '80s probably take for granted the al most a rchety pal ~good doctor,~ as represented by such me n as Drs. K ildare, 'Welby, and Gannoll, and their current counterparts on such television series as Trappu John, MD and 51. Eluwh(Tt. These physicians know all of their patients by name, recog nize and solve all of the patienl's proble msboth physical and psychosocial-and charge little o r nothing for their servIces. Although this medi a image of the