Discovering Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell: Top 12 Fun Facts About the First Female Physician in America

1. Elizabeth "McPioneer" Blackwell

Who needs Grey's Anatomy when you have Elizabeth "McPioneer" Blackwell: a woman who could rattle more than just medicine cabinets! Blackwell, initially uninterested in medicine, got her calling from a dying friend who wished for a female doctor and went on to defy all odds by becoming the first woman in America to earn an M.D. degree, graduating from Geneva Medical College in 1849, founding the New York Infirmary, and advocating for women's rights and medical education for women throughout her life.
Source => cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov

2. Breaking Glass Ceilings & Bones

Who knew breaking glass ceilings could begin with breaking bones: Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to obtain a medical degree in the United States, overcame tremendous prejudice and adversity to graduate at the top of her class, working her magic at renowned hospitals in London and Paris. Yet on her return to New York, the notorious "no girls allowed" attitude in the medical profession didn't udderly cow her; she corralled her sister and equally determined female colleagues, founding the New York Infirmary for Women and Children, and carving out a space in medical history for women. Thanks to trailblazing lady docs like Elizabeth, nowadays, women make up the majority of students in U.S. medical schools.
Source => downstate.edu

Did you know Marie Curie's cookbooks and personal belongings are still radioactive after 100 years? Even her manuscripts require protective clothing to access! Discover more fascinating facts about this famous scientist.

=> Fun Facts about Marie-Curie

3. European Medical Escapades

Elizabeth Blackwell's European escapades could put any study abroad student to shame, with her gallivanting between Parisian maternity wards and London hospitals, proving she was truly an OG medical influencer: Determined to specialize in women's and children's diseases and midwifery, Blackwell overcame gender-related obstacles to successfully complete her training at La Maternité in Paris and St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London after earning her medical degree in 1849.
Source => circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov

4. The Real McCoy of Female Docs

Who needs Grey's Anatomy when you have the real McCoy: Elizabeth Blackwell, the OG of female docs, sauntered her way into medical history by becoming the first woman to snag a medical degree in the United States! That's right, the trailblazer graduated top of her class from Geneva Medical College in 1849, without the need for any sneaky pseudonyms or underhanded tactics – just pure merit and a dash of Philadelphia physician endorsement.
Source => neh.gov

5. The Knock-Knock Barrier Breaker

Knock, knock! Who's there? Elizabeth! Elizabeth who? Elizabeth Blackwell, breaking down barriers and 19 medical school rejections to become the United States' first female physician: Blackwell eventually gained entry into Geneva Medical College, unintentionally transforming an all-boys' club into a classroom, and later went on to establish the Women's Medical College of the New York Infirmary in 1868 – America's first medical college for women.
Source => womenhistoryblog.com

6. Double Lemonade Trailblazers

When life gives you lemons, make medical history: Elizabeth Blackwell's sister Emily proved that two trailblazing doctors are better than one, facing rejection from 11 med schools before co-founding the New York Infirmary for Women and Children with her sister, and growing it into a bustling institution serving over 7,000 patients annually by 1874.
Source => cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov

7. 11 Closed Doors, One Glass Ceiling

Knocking on 11 closed doors before breaking the glass ceiling: Elizabeth Blackwell not only withstood rejection from eleven medical schools due to her gender, but went on to become the first female graduate of Western Reserve University's medical school and co-founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children with her sister Emily, serving over 7,000 patients annually.
Source => cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov

8. 1800s All-Girls Hospital Squad

Whoever thought a modern-day hospital could be run by an all-girls squad in the 1800s? Well, ladies and gentlemen, enter Elizabeth Blackwell and her band of healers: She established the first U.S. hospital staffed solely by women, which would ultimately transform into the present-day NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital.
Source => healthmatters.nyp.org

9. The One-Eyed Medical Trailblazer

As fate would have it, Elizabeth Blackwell had her eye on medicine – and when that very eye went rogue and left her, she just couldn't keep her hands off her scalpels: Despite losing her left eye due to an infection, Elizabeth continued her career as a physician and surgeon, making groundbreaking contributions to the medical field after undergoing intensive treatment, including cauterization and surgery to remove the affected eye, showcasing her admirable resilience and dedication.
Source => healthmatters.nyp.org

10. Smashing Medical Patriarchy & Hygiene

From smashing the medical patriarchy one scalpel at a time to occasionally sprinkling the notion of "cleanliness is next to godliness" in females-only lecture halls: Elizabeth Blackwell founded the Women's Medical College of the New York Infirmary, providing opportunities for women physicians while emphasizing preventative care and personal hygiene. She later opened the London School of Medicine for Women, becoming a professor of gynecology in 1875 and securing her spot as the first lady of lady doctors.
Source => womenshistory.org

11. Accidentally Admitted, Intentionally Great

If at first you don't succeed, get a bunch of dudes to accidentally say yes: Despite facing numerous rejections from medical colleges, Elizabeth Blackwell was finally admitted to Geneva Medical College in 1847 after the all-male student body voted her in as a joke, paving her way to become the first woman to earn an M.D. degree from an American medical school in 1849 and ultimately establish a medical practice in New York.
Source => bristol.ac.uk

12. Stethoscope Ceiling Smasher

"Breaking the stethoscope ceiling and diagnosing gender barriers with surgical precision": Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the United States to receive a medical degree and obtain a license to practice medicine, achieving this groundbreaking feat in 1849 from a medical college in Geneva, New York.
Source => thelancet.com