From educating midwives in the 1600s to performing surgery during the Civil War and, more recently, advancing brain research, women have impacted medicine in profound ways. In honor of International Women’s Day on Sunday, here’s a fascinating look at five female trailblazers.

Jane Sharp, author, “The Midwives Book,” 1600s

Jane Sharp broke new ground by writing from her three decades of experience in England caring for women during pregnancy, birth and motherhood. “The Midwives Book,” published in 1671, was popular and the first of its kind. Similar manuals were written mostly by men with scientific knowledge but little to no real-world experience.

Elizabeth Blackwell, M.D., first woman with American medical degree, 1821-1910

Elizabeth Blackwell had been rejected by nearly 30 medical schools when the all-male student body at New York’s Geneva Medical College voted to admit her as a joke in 1847. Two years later, she graduated at the top of the class. She founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children to help the poor as well as a women’s medical college to help others follow in her footsteps.

Mary Edwards Walker, M.D., first female surgeon in the U.S., 1832-1919

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was rejected from serving as a Union army doctor because of her sex. Eventually she simply moved near the front lines of battles in Virginia and cared for the wounded anyway, often wearing men’s clothes for ease of movement. Eventually, in 1863 her request to act as a surgeon was accepted. She often crossed enemy lines in her work and was captured and imprisoned for being a Confederate spy. She is the only woman to receive the National Medal of Honor.

Virginia Alexander, M.D., studied health impact of racism, 1899-1949

Dr. Virginia Alexander battled racism and sexism throughout her career. In 1930, she expanded her home medical practice in Philadelphia to include a small hospital, treating many Black patients who were denied or received poor care at white hospitals. She researched healthcare disparities, such as Black residents having six times the chance of dying from tuberculosis than white residents. At the time, Black families were more likely to live in overcrowded conditions where disease spread easily. Dr. Alexander devoted her life to studying the harmful effect of systemic racism on the health of Black Americans.

Patricia Goldman-Rakic, Ph.D., groundbreaking brain researcher, 1937-2003

Patricia Goldman-Rakic’s research into the brain’s frontal lobes is foundational to our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and other conditions. At a time when the prefrontal cortex was considered too difficult to study in much detail, Goldman-Rakic was able to map that region of the brain, advancing knowledge of how cognition, planning and working memory function. She published more than 200 papers and was admitted to the National Academy of Sciences in 1990.

Inspire Yourself

Expand your horizons of what is possible by reading more using the links in this post. Despite steep climbs, each of these women made remarkable strides in medicine that continue to impact us today, reminding us that HERstory is our story.

Sources:
Association of American Medical Colleges
The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens
National Park Service
National Women’s History Museum