Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell (1821 - 1910): Opening Doors to Women in Medicine

Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell spearheaded the role of women in the medical field as physicians. Most women of the time took up nursing or practiced medicine without formal educational qualifications. However, she challenged the gender roles within the medical field to show the world that women can excel in the study of medicine, graduate with a medical degree, and contribute as physicians in the community on par with their male counterparts. When garnering equal respect in the field despite holding a valid medical license and degree proved difficult, she opened the doors for other women pursuing medical education by founding medical colleges for women. During her lifetime, she was a global physician. Since she graduated from medical school, women have gradually found equal footing with men in the medical physician community. The impact women have on the medical field is undeniable; not only are they nurses and paramedical professionals, but women make up some of the top physicians and surgeons around the world today. This biographic account of the life and career of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell aims to honor her memory in the advancement of gender equality within the medical field for women.