Blackwell, Elizabeth (1821-1910), was the first woman in the United States to receive a medical degree. She helped break down prejudice against women in medicine. Blackwell graduated from medical school in 1849. In 1857, she and her younger sister Emily Blackwell, a surgeon, opened their own hospital in New York City. The hospital, called the New York Infirmary for Women and Children, was staffed entirely by women and primarily served the poor. The sisters later expanded the hospital to include a medical school for women.
Blackwell was born on Feb. 3, 1821, in Bristol, England, and came to New York with her family at the age of 11. In 1847, she began her medical studies at Geneva College in Geneva, New York, after 29 other medical schools had denied her admission because of her sex. Following her graduation, she traveled to Europe for practical training in hospitals there. When she returned to New York in 1851, she encountered much prejudice as a woman physician. Few patients came to see her, and hospitals barred her from their wards. Male doctors ignored her. Eventually, however, Blackwell earned the respect of the medical community and of the public. She returned to England in 1869, where she spent the rest of her life working to open the medical profession to women.
Blackwell wrote several books and lectured widely. She helped introduce the belief that sanitation and personal hygiene played major roles in the prevention of disease. In 1949, the American Medical Women’s Association established the Elizabeth Blackwell Medal to honor her achievements. The medal is awarded each year to the woman physician who has made the most outstanding contribution to the cause of women in the field of medicine. Blackwell died on May 31, 1910.
