Struggling doctor stops drunken ladette (9)
I believe the answer is:
embattled
'struggling' is the definition.
'doctor stops drunken ladette' is the wordplay.
'doctor' becomes 'MB' (Bachelor of Medicine, Medicinae Baccalaureus).
'stops' is an insertion indicator.
'drunken' indicates anagramming the letters.
'ladette' with letters rearranged gives 'eattled'.
'mb' inserted into 'eattled' is 'EMBATTLED'.
(Other definitions for embattled that I've seen before include "Under pressure, in trying circumstances" , "under attack" , "Beleaguered" , "Involved in conflict" , "Beset by difficulties" .)