Photo Courtesy of National Women’s History Museum

Elizabeth Blackwell- First Female American Doctor

Courtesy of National Women’s History Museum

Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman in America to receive her medical degree.  She served as a pioneer for women in the medical profession and promoted the education of women in the medical profession through lectures and by opening her own medical college for women.

Elizabeth Blackwell was born in Counterslip, England on February 3, 1821, to Samuel and Hannah Lane. In 1832, the Blackwell family moved to America, eventually ending up in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Samuel Blackwell was a very forward-thinking man and raised all of his children with feminist ideals.

Soon after the family settled in Cincinnati, Samuel Blackwell died, leaving the family penniless. Elizabeth, her mother, and two older sisters all worked as teachers to earn money for the family.  In 1842, Elizabeth moved to Kentucky for a new teaching position.  During this time, she realized that there were not many career opportunities for women other than that of a teacher.

She decided to become a credentialed doctor, even though there were no precedents for female students in medical schools.  Such schools were themselves fairly new, as most physicians learned to practice medicine literally by “practicing” with an experienced doctor.

While she was teaching, she boarded with the families of two physicians, who both mentored her. When she was not teaching, Blackwell read medical books.  She applied to several medical schools, and every school in Philadelphia, New York, and New England refused her application – until Geneva College, a small school in rural New York, sent a letter of acceptance.

People there were surprised when Blackwell actually showed up, and they were not at all welcoming; the acceptance letter was intended as a practical joke.  Professors forced her to sit separately at lectures, and she was often excluded from labs.  Blackwell, however, did not give up and eventually earned the respect of many professors and fellow students.  On January 23, 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell graduated first in her class and became the first woman in the world to receive a medical degree.

Upon receiving her degree, Blackwell continued her training at several hospitals in London and Paris.  The European doctors also often ignored her or treated her with hostility.  Dr. Blackwell found herself relegated to the area of midwifery and often spent her time with nurses.  Through her work with nurses, she developed a strong emphasis on preventative care and personal hygiene.  Most male physicians had no such focus – indeed, they caused epidemics by failing to wash their hands between patients.

In 1851, Dr. Blackwell returned to America, and in New York City, she met with resistance.  She was not allowed to practice in any of the hospitals or clinics and even had a hard time renting rooms. Many people thought of a female physician as an abortionist and could not accept her as a female physician who treated the same problems as any male physician.  Finally, with some help from Quaker friends, Blackwell opened a small clinic where she treated poor women.  In 1857, she opened the New York Infirmary for Women and Children with her sister Dr. Emily Blackwell, who was also a physician.

In 1868, Blackwell fulfilled her dream of opening her own medical college.  Because she was the object of worldwide attention, she emphasized strict entrance exams, a sound curriculum, and graduate exams.  The education her students received was better than that of most of the medical colleges for men.

Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell died in Hastings, England, in 1910.  Although she was born and died in England, as both a student and a professor, she was a true pioneer of American education.