Ep 4. It's a Damn Shaman

It's a Damn Shaman is the fourth episode of the third season of Doogie Howser, M.D. The show follows the life of a teenage genius, Doogie Howser, who is a licensed doctor at an age of just 16.

In this episode, Doogie and Vinnie come across a patient named Mrs. Gulabirovich who claims to have supernatural powers, and insists that she has been visited by a shaman who has promised her a miracle cure. Doogie, being a skeptical medical professional, dismisses the idea outright. Meanwhile, Doogie has been going through a rough time with his girlfriend Wanda, and he confides in Mrs. Gulabirovich, who offers him some counsel.

Doogie presents the case to Dr. Canfield, who is initially dismissive of the idea of the shaman and magic cures. However, as Mrs. Gulabirovich continues with her claims, Canfield begins to do more research on shamanism and its effects on patients. The team eventually meets with the shaman, who identifies himself as Juan Dominguez.

Dominguez gives insight into his healing practices that include herbs, plants and acupuncture, leaving the doctors surprised and in awe about the potency of the remedies. He offers to treat their patient, but to the disappointment of Mrs. Gulabirovich, he declines to perform the miracle cure.

Despite the shaman’s non-miraculous treatment, Mrs. Gulabirovich shows a marked improvement. However, things go awry when she takes it upon herself to carry on Dominguez's practices and self-treats with herbs and acupuncture- later suffering a seizure. Dr Canfield confronts Mrs. Gulabirovich about the dangers of self-medication and urges her to seek real medical attention, which she agrees to.

On the other hand, Doogie seeks advice from his patient's neighbor, Father McCue, about his troubled relationship with Wanda. As they talk, Father McCue tells him his personal story of heartbreak and encourages Doogie to focus on the positive things in his life.

Towards the end of the episode, Mrs. Gulabirovich recovers from the seizure and expresses her gratitude to the doctors for their help. As the story of Doogie's relationship issues continues, he reconciles with Wanda, with the help of Father McCue's wise counsel.

It's a Damn Shaman is an interesting episode that talks about alternative medicine and the power of belief. With impressive performances from the cast and a standout storyline, the episode ends on a positive note with both the case and Doogie's personal life finding closure.