America's First Female Doctor

Elizabeth Blackwell [1821-1910] didn't always enjoy medicine. But once she chose to become a doctor, she let nothing stop her. In the mid-1800s, medical schools did not accept female students.
People believed then that women could never become capable doctors. This view made Elizabeth angry. She knew that many women would feel more at ease consulting a woman rather than a man about their health. Despite public opinion, she decided to follow her dream.
Elizabeth applied to dozens of medical schools, but she was rejected by each and every one. Refusing to be discouraged, Elizabeth made alternate plans for her education.
She read thick medical textbooks on her own. She convinced an understanding doctor to be her private tutor. She never stopped working, and she never gave up hope.
Finally, in 1847, a small college in upstate New York admitted Elizabeth Blackwell into its medical program. When she got there, she learned that her acceptance was a joke.
People treated her as an outsider. Teachers and classmates teased her. Others ignored her. But Elizabeth did not let such rude behavior keep her from accomplishing her goal.
An industrious student, she went to her classes and studied hard. She earned the admiration of her fellow students.
In January 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell graduated at the head of her class.She became the first woman in the United States to receive a medical degree.
At her graduation, she said, "It shall be the effort of my life to shed honor on this disploma." In so doing, she broke down the barriers that prevented women from practicing medicine.
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