Elizabeth Blackwell

Hello! My name is Elizabeth Blackwell, and I’d like to tell you my story. I was born a long time ago, on February 3rd, 1821, in a city called Bristol in England. My family was large and lively, and my parents believed something quite unusual for the time: that their daughters should be just as educated as their sons. When I was eleven, in 1832, we sailed across the ocean to start a new life in America. As a young woman, I never dreamed of being a doctor. The idea came to me in a sad way. A dear friend of mine was very ill, and she told me she would have been spared so much suffering if her doctor had been a woman. Her words stayed with me. At that time, there were no female doctors. The thought was shocking, impossible even! But the more I thought about it, the more I felt it was something I had to do.

Deciding to become a doctor was one thing; making it happen was another. I began writing letters to every medical school I could find. One by one, the rejection letters came back. Some said women weren't smart enough, others said we weren't strong enough. I received 29 rejections in all! But I refused to give up. While I waited, I studied on my own and with doctors who were willing to help me. Then, in 1847, a miracle happened. I received an acceptance letter from Geneva Medical College in New York. I later found out the students had been asked to vote on my admission. Thinking it was a hilarious prank, they all voted 'yes,' never imagining I would actually show up. Well, I did show up, ready to prove that a woman could be a doctor.

My first days at medical school were lonely. The other students, all men, ignored me. Some professors even tried to keep me out of certain lectures. But I focused on my studies and slowly began to earn their respect. I was not a joke; I was a serious student. On January 23rd, 1849, I walked across the stage and received my diploma. I had graduated first in my class and was now the very first woman in the United States to earn a medical degree. After graduation, I traveled to hospitals in London and Paris to gain more experience. It was still a struggle, and people doubted me everywhere I went. While working in Paris, I contracted a serious infection from a young patient, which caused me to lose sight in one eye. This meant my dream of becoming a surgeon was over, but it didn't stop my determination to practice medicine.

When I returned to America, I found that even with my degree, no hospital would hire me. Men didn't want to work with a female doctor. So, I decided if they wouldn't let me in their world, I would create a new one. In 1857, with the help of my sister Emily, who had also become a doctor, and our colleague Dr. Marie Zakrzewska, I opened the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children. It was a hospital for poor women and children, and it was staffed entirely by women. It was a place where female doctors could practice medicine and where female patients could feel comfortable and understood. When the American Civil War began in 1861, I helped organize and train nurses to care for wounded soldiers, showing just how important women were to medicine.

My next big dream was to open a medical school just for women, to make the path easier for those who came after me. In 1868, we opened the Woman's Medical College of the New York Infirmary. It brought me so much joy to see other determined women learning to become doctors without facing the rejection and ridicule I had endured. A year later, in 1869, I returned to England. I wanted to help women there achieve the same rights. I became a professor and continued to write and speak about the importance of public health and education for all. I believed that medicine was about more than just curing sickness; it was about preventing it and teaching people how to live healthier lives.

I lived a long and full life, reaching the age of 89. Looking back, I am so proud that I did not let all those 'no's' stop me. My journey was difficult, but it opened a door that had always been locked for women. Today, when you see female doctors, surgeons, and medical scientists, you can know that each one is a part of the dream that began with a simple, 'impossible' idea. I am remembered as a pioneer, not just for being the first, but for dedicating my life to making sure I would not be the last.