15. The First Female Medical Doctor: Elizabeth Blackwell (February 3rd)
The 1800s were not very progressive regarding women’s education. That is, women could not choose what they wanted to do with their lives. Of course, they could do typical house chores. In the medical and science fields, men viewed women as inferior. People did not take women seriously. That is until Elizabeth Blackwell came to New York from England. She worked her way into becoming America’s first licensed woman medical doctor. One of the first jobs she had was teaching at a boarding school. However, everything about her path changed when one of her best friends passed away. Right then and there, she began applying to many medical schools.
At first, all she got were rejection letters until she received an acceptance letter from Geneva College one faithful day. Apparently, the staff looked for feedback to the school’s students were they accepted to add her, even if they thought it was a joke. After getting her license, she went to Europe for two years and returned to New York City to open a clinic to serve poor women and children. A few years later, she founded her medical women made especially for women. Her achievements helped make way for more females in the medical field, and celebrating her life is the best thing to keep this part of history alive.