Throughout history, women have made significant contributions to medicine. But, until recently, they weren’t always welcome in the field.
Thankfully, some pioneers were willing to fight for their right to become doctors. Take a look at which woman became the first female to receive a medical degree in south america, and how she put her name in the history books.
Elizabeth Blackwell
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Throughout her life, Elizabeth Blackwell campaigned for women’s rights and fought for reforms in preventive medicine and hygiene. In the 1860s she founded her own medical college for women, the Woman’s Medical College of the New York Infirmary.
Elizabeth Blackwell was born in 1821 near Bristol, England and came to America as a naturalized citizen at age 28. She earned a living as a teacher until she began her medical education in 1847.
She studied privately with John Dickson in Asheville, North Carolina and then with his brother Samuel in Charleston, South Carolina. She also studied midwifery in London and Paris, and in 1849 she graduated from Geneva Medical College in New York City as the first female doctor in the United States.
Although she faced discrimination and resentment in her pursuit of a medical degree, Blackwell ultimately achieved her goal of becoming a doctor. She remained dedicated to her studies, achieving a top position in her class and graduating with a Doctor of Medicine degree in January 1849.
In the aftermath of her graduation, Blackwell returned to America and opened a small dispensary in a poor section of New York City where she treated women and children. She was joined by her sister Emily and her colleague Dr. Marie Zakrzewska, and eventually this clinic grew into the New York Infirmary for Women and Children.
The success of this clinic was critical to Blackwell’s career, as she had to be able to practice in areas that did not permit her access to hospitals or dispensaries. Her dedication to this venture was not only successful but also helped to change attitudes towards women in the medical profession.
Rebecca Lee Crumpler
Rebecca Lee Crumpler was born in Delaware in 1831 and raised by her aunt in Pennsylvania, where she often helped care for sick neighbors. Her early experiences inspired her to become a nurse and earn a medical degree.
In 1860, she began her medical education at the New England Female Medical College (NEFMC) in Boston. This was the first school to train women doctors, and it received a lot of criticism at the time.
Despite the prejudice she faced, she was determined to pursue a career in medicine. She worked hard and was able to get into medical school.
While she was in medical school, she was also helping formerly enslaved people who were suffering from diseases. It was a difficult time for Black people to have access to health care, so her work was especially important.
After she graduated, she continued her career by caring for formerly enslaved people in Richmond, Virginia. She later returned to Boston to continue her practice of medicine.
She continued to work despite the constant sexism and racism she faced, and her efforts led to many African American physicians gaining medical degrees. She also wrote a book called “A Book of Medical Discourses” which was one of the first medical publications written by a Black American doctor.
As a result of her pioneering achievements, she is now celebrated as a hero in the history of medicine. Her life and work serve as an inspiration to others who want to break down barriers, seek diversity, and help people improve their lives.
In 1989, Saundra Maass-Robinson and Patricia Whitley founded the Rebecca Lee Society, an organization that promotes women of color in the health professions. The Rebecca Lee Society also holds a National Day of Remembrance on March 30 to honor her.
Matilde Montoya
On August 24th, 1887, a woman named Matilde Montoya made history by becoming the first female to receive a medical degree in south america. This change occurred because of her bravery and courage to overcome adversity.
Matilde Montoya was born on March 14, 1859, in Mexico City, Mexico. She was the third daughter of Jose Maria Montoya and Soledad Lafragua. She was a very intelligent child, she learned to read and write at a young age. She was taught to enjoy reading by her mother, Soledad Lafragua, who believed that education was important for a person to survive and succeed in life.
She had a difficult childhood, as her father was conservative and did not allow her to leave the family home. However, her mother was a strong believer in education and encouraged Matilde to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.
As a young girl, she took her studies seriously and finished her secondary school education in Cuernavaca. But she was too young to be admitted to the higher levels of education, and therefore she enrolled in a school for girls, where she studied gynaecology and obstetrics.
After finishing her studies at this school, she decided to continue her medical studies at the National School of Medicine in Mexico. This was where she ran into hostility from some of her fellow students.
Eventually, she wrote a letter to the president of Mexico, Porfirio Diaz, who supported her request and instructed the university authorities to give her the opportunity to take her exams. She completed her studies with good grades and, on August 24th, 1887, she presented her professional exam to be deemed a doctor.
Laura Martinez de Carvajal
Despite their lack of access to education, women throughout the world have made remarkable contributions to the field of medicine. Until recently, many of these women did not have the opportunity to go to medical school, and their accomplishments were limited to their countries. However, as their nations became more developed, they were allowed to enroll in medical schools and begin their careers.
Laura Martinez de Carvajal y Del Camino was born in 1869 and was the first female to receive a medical degree in south america. She graduated from the University of Havana in 1889. She was also the first woman to earn a degree in ophthalmology.
She was born into a rich Spanish family and began learning to read and write at age four. She completed high school at age thirteen and went on to become the first female doctor in Cuba.
Her father was a pharmacist and her mother a nurse. Both parents were extremely hardworking and supportive of their daughters’ ambitions to become doctors.
As a result, Laura learned to work well under pressure. She was able to complete her studies and earn her degree in just five years, which is impressive for her time period.
But, the most important part of her success was her willingness to put in the hard work necessary to succeed. She was determined to prove that women could be just as competent as men when it came to obtaining a degree in the medical field.
She was a pioneer in her field and helped to shape the history of medicine in Cuba and around the world. She also fought for the rights of women in her country. In addition to her activism in the feminist movement, she established vaccination clinics for poor mothers and children.
Andrea Evangelina Rodriguez Perozo
As the first female to receive a medical degree in south america, Andrea Evangelina Rodriguez Perozo paved the way for other women to receive degrees. She was a Dominican obstetrician and gynecologist who dedicated her career to treating the poor. She founded several institutions, including a vaccine clinic and a mother’s milk bank and advocated for sex education and family planning.
Born in Higuey, the Dominican Republic, she was abandoned by her father when she was young and lived with her grandmother. She worked hard to put herself through school. She also sold gofio, a sweet made from ground corn and sugar, on the streets to support her family.
Eventually, she completed secondary school and obtained a degree in medicine from the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo. After receiving her medical degree, she returned to the Dominican Republic and began working with poor patients. She continued to help the poor for many years, providing them with free medical care.
She later went on to obtain a specialized degree in gynecology, obstetrics and pediatrics from the University of Paris. After returning to the Dominican Republic, she worked with the poor, advocating for sex education and birth control and creating various institutions to help them.
Her work in the Dominican Republic sparked her political consciousness, and she became an activist against human rights abuses under Dictator Rafael Trujillo. Though her activism put her in danger, she still continued to speak out against Trujillo’s repressive policies.
Although she died in 1947, her legacy as the first female doctor in south america lives on. Her activism, dedication to helping the poor, and belief in the importance of women’s health made her a pioneer in the field of medicine. She is credited with advancing the feminist movement and was a great role model for women of her time.
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