Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell By: Cheyanne Eisenmann

Background… Born: February 3, 1821 in Bristol, England Father was a sugar refiner and an anti-slavery activist Moved to America in 1832 Even though she never married, in 1854 she adopted Katherine Berry “Kitty” who traveled with her and remained with her throughout her life.

Inspiration… Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell did not want to pursue a career in medicine. She was repelled by anything having to do with the body, but when a close friend of hers was dying, her friend stated that she would have been spared her worst suffering if her physician had been a female. She then began talking to all the physicians she knew, trying to find out how to become a physician. They all told her it was impossible, expensive and that extensive education was not offered to women, but she wouldn’t accept that answer. She was able to convince two physicians to let her read medical books with them.

Geneva Medical College… In 1847 she applied to 13 schools and only got into one…but it was a practical joke acceptence. The faculty didn’t think an all male school would agree on a woman in their class, so they let all 150 men vote and assuming it was a joke, they all followed along and voted yes. She was then accepted into Geneva Medial College in New York. Elizabeth faced many obstacles and discrimations while attending Geneva. Some professors made her sit seperatly in lectures and excluded her from labs, but that didn’t stop her. Two years later (1849), she graduated first in her class, becoming the first American Woman to graduate with an MD.

After Geneva… After graduating, she felt she didn't have enough knowledge to practice alone, so she went back to Paris to work at La Maternite in obstetrics. Here she took an interest into personal hygiene and preventative care. Male physicians were causing an epidemic because they failed to wash their hands between seeing patients. In 1871, she established the National Health Society to implement safety in the spread of germs and diseases through handwashing. “Prevention is better than cure” was the motto of the society.

Change of Direction… In 1851, she returned to New York. She had to return to New York, because while treating a baby with a bacterial infection in its eye, most likely gonorrhea, some of the pus got in her eye causing her to lose sight in her left eye. She then had to give up her dream of becoming a surgeon. Due to no one hiring her, she set up her own practice. It took a while for her practice to grow since she was a female physician. She gave lectures and as she became known her practice grew. In 1852, she published her lectures. In 1857, she established the New York Infirmary for Women and Children where her sister, Dr. Emily Blackwell ( 3rd woman to graduate with an MD) and colleague Dr. Marie Zackrzewska helped run it. The hospital also became a site for nurse training. In 1858, she toured around the UK, for a year, to inspire other women to pursue a career in medicine. In 1868, she founded a women’s medical college at the infirmary.

In 1869, she returned to London to establish her own practice In 1869, she returned to London to establish her own practice. Before moving to London, she gave leadership of the New York Medical College and Infirmary to Emily. She was the chair of Gynecology at the London School of Medicine for Women in 1875. A year later she had to retire from practicing medicine and lecturing due to her own illness. She published her own autobiography in 1895 titled Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women. Blackwell became physically and mentally ill after falling head first down a flight of stairs in 1907. Shortly after, on May 31, 1910 she passed away due to a stroke.

Works Cited "Changing the Face of Medicine | ElizabethBlackwell." U.S. National Library of Medicine. National Institutes of Health, 03 June 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. Google Images. Google, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. "Home." Famous Scientists. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. Markel, Dr. Howard. "How Elizabeth Blackwell became the first female doctor in the U.S." PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, 03 Feb. 2016. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. "National Women's History Museum." Education & Resources - National Women's History Museum - NWHM. N.p., 05 Feb. 2010. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.