Dear Reader,
With International Women’s Day only just passed, I thought it would be of the upmost importance to show our respect to the ladies who paved the way for our very own medical careers. I also thought I’d put my ‘History of Medicine’ intercalated degree to good use and share some fun facts (and use this platform as a shameless plug to encourage others to consider this degree which allowed me to investigate the struggles women in medicine have faced since Day 1).
Now we all know the name Elizabeth Blackwell; born in Bristol but educated in America, Ms Blackwell was the first woman to ever receive a medical degree in the United States, and be placed on the Medical Register of the General Medical Council. But have you ever heard the name Elizabeth Garrett Anderson? As a political campaigner and pioneering physician, Anderson was the first woman to qualify as a doctor in England. Her story epitomises the setbacks and struggles of the Victorian woman forging her place within a society which denied the value of her intelligence. It is a story we should all know and appreciate, so let’s get right to it!
Born to a successful businessman in Whitechapel, East London, Elizabeth Garrett was expected to study hard, marry well and live the life of a well-to-do lady. But in 1859, Garrett’s life took a turn when she met our friend Elizabeth Blackwell, who was delivering a series of lectures in London on ‘Medicine as a Profession for Ladies’. Blackwell stressed the contributions female doctors could make by educating mothers on nutrition and child-care, as well as working in hospitals, schools, prisons, and other institutions, and thus inspired Garrett to pursue a career in medicine. This was unheard of in 19th century Britain and her attempts to study in a number of medical schools were rebuffed. Still undeterred, Garrett enrolled as a nursing student at Middlesex Hospital, attending classes intended only for male doctors. But, it will come as no surprise, that after multiple male students complained about her presence in their teachings, Garrett was in fact barred from joining the classes for her own course. Despite this, Garrett succeeded in completing the exams necessary to join the Society of Apothecaries in 1865 and gained a certificate which enabled her to become a doctor. Shocked by how a woman had managed to overcome the system this way, the society then changed its rules to prevent other women from entering the profession this way!
With the medical system remaining hostile to women, Garrett established a dispensary of her own for women in London, and in 1870, with the weight of her growing reputation, was made visiting physician to the East London Hospital. She remained determined to obtain a medical degree, so taught herself French and went to the University of Paris where she successfully earned her most sought after prize. Here I would just like to mention, that despite her very valid studies and very valid degree, the British Medical Register still refused to recognise her qualification! In 1872, Garrett, (now a married woman so I guess she’s Garrett-Anderson now), founded the New Hospital for Women in London, which was staffed entirely by women!
Anderson’s determination paved the way for future women, and as a result of her open campaigning, an act was passed in 1876 permitting women to enter the medical profession. Anderson was appointed Dean at the London School of Medicine for Women in 1883, and oversaw its expansion. After her retirement to Aldeburgh, Suffolk, Anderson remained a trailblazer, becoming the first female mayor of England in 1908! Honestly, can this woman get any more impressive??
Anyways, it’s due to women like Elizabeth Garrett Anderson that we as women today
have the opportunity to study medicine and we should be grateful for the legacy she left behind. So as a parting note, I just want to say: thanks Lizzy, you truly are an inspiration to all of us at the Women in Medicine society, and now hopefully to many of our readers!
Love,
Zarin x