Women in Medicine Month: 3 Inspiring Collections to Explore
Meet these women. Learn their names. Hear their voices.
September marks the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Women in Medicine Month—an annual celebration of women physicians, residents, and students. What better way to honor them than by exploring history and learning from those who paved the way for women in medicine today.
The following three historical collections highlight the many ways women throughout history have not only kicked open doors previously closed to them, but worked tirelessly to keep them open, too. These women overcame obstacles on their own journeys, and then lent their time and hard-earned expertise to advancing the medical careers of other women.
Meet these women. Learn their names. Hear their voices. But above all, prepare to be inspired.
The Women Physicians Digital Collection: Opening Doors to Women in Medicine
Housed at Drexel University, the Women Physicians Digital Collection documents the history of women in medicine, beginning with the founding of the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania (WMCP) in 1850. The first established school of its kind in the world, WMCP made history when it granted medical degrees to eight women in 1851. The college went on to train thousands of women, many of whom traveled the globe as physicians, researchers, teachers, and even deans of other medical schools.
The collection’s trove of letters, news clippings, diaries, images, and publications gives voice to the many women who helped forge a path for future generations, and captures the very real struggles they faced along the way.
Changing the Face of Medicine: An Exhibition of Women’s Achievements
Presented by the National Library of Medicine, this exhibition pays tribute to the myriad ways women have strengthened and expanded the field of medicine. From improving surgical procedures, to advancements in children’s health, to Nobel Prize-winning research, these women embody the grit, determination, and vision needed to change the face of medicine.
Perhaps Donna M. Christian-Christensen, MD said it best:
“If you had asked me when I was graduating from George Washington in 1970 if I would be here doing this, I would have said no. And if you had asked me in 1996, when I got elected, if I would be in a position to influence national health issues, or international health issues, I would have told you, ‘Oh, no, that wasn’t possible,’ but today it is. And it’s really an honor and a privilege, and a responsibility, to be able to do that.”
Rise, Serve, Lead: Courageous Women Fighting for Women
“I am an unapologetic feminist physician…” These words, from the late physician and women’s rights activist, Elizabeth Karlin, MD, illustrate the tenacity that fueled her fight to practice medicine—especially in the field of women’s health. Facing threats to her life and wellbeing, Dr. Karlin remained undeterred, and brought critical medical services—including abortion—to her clinic in Wisconsin.
The late Dorothy Celeste Boulding Ferebee, MD—encountering racism along her own path to becoming a doctor—fought for racial equality in women’s healthcare, and brought much-needed medical resources to poor Black children living in the rural South.
These two remarkable women were not alone in their resolve. The over 300 women celebrated in this exhibition chose to rise up, serve those in need, and lead the field of women’s health forward.
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