TV doctors #11 – Michael Gallant, E.R.

ER's Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins) back in Iraq, NBC

Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins) arrived at the E.R. as the classic wet-behind-the-ears medical student in Season 7.  A member of the U.S. Army Reserve, his service in Iraq was a platform for E.R. to tackle veteran’s issues.

a salute…

… to all the GIs who served, and to all the GIs who made the most of their GI Bill benefits.

After serving in WW2 or Korea, most of the practitioners at Medical Associates went to med school on the GI Bill.   They had to have the grades, of course.  And no one is giving out medical degrees just because.  But medical school would have simply been financially out of reach for these young men.

After serving in today’s conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, I expect American society will reap another harvest of talented servicemen and servicewomen.  In my book, that’s a pretty sweet “peace dividend.”

(Image courtesy of the family of Gerald McAdoo, D.D.S., the original dentist in the group.)