Medicine has revolutionized the way life is lived around the world. When Elizabeth Blackwell was alive, women often died from pregnancy or childbirth complications.1 Nowadays, the percentage of women in first and second world countries who die from pregnancy/birth complications has significantly decreased. If women had not entered the field of medicine, aspects of gynecology, pediatrics, birth control, abortion, and even mental health may not have received the attention they deserve and have now. Elizabeth Blackwell broke the barrier for women when she became the first woman to graduate from medical school in America. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Elizabeth Blackwell was born and raised in England, although her contributions to medicine were made in America. She was born into a family where she was encouraged to do the same things as her siblings, learning to “read, write, and study the classics.”1 This environment allowed her to thrive both as a child and later as a doctor. “It is a great advantage to have been born into a large group of healthy, active children, surrounded by wholesome influences.” The Blackwells set sail for America in 1832, which would benefit Elizabeth in ways they could not have foreseen. When Elizabeth was 17, her father died and she had to work to support her family. She taught “music, French, and academic subjects.”1 During this time she was exposed to the brutality of slavery and the concept of transcendentalism. She did not enjoy teaching, due to her students' disinterest in studying. Several years passed and Elizabeth met a friend who was dying. “He once told me: 'You love studying, you have health and free time; why not study medicine? If I could have been treated by a doctor, my worst suffering would have been spared me.'”6 Elizabeth initially rejected the idea completely. She felt disgusted with the human body and its diseases, and at the time it was considered "unfeminine" for women to pursue higher education, especially in medicine. Although she loved her studies, physiology was repugnant to her. However, as time passed, he couldn't shake the idea of ​​going into medicine. “I felt more determined than ever to become a doctor and thus to place a strong barrier between myself and any ordinary marriage. I must have something with which to absorb my thoughts, some object in life that fills this void and prevents this sad wearing out of the heart. the beginning of Blackwell's training to become a female doctor. After being rejected by other medical schools, she applied to go to “Geneva College in New York,” where the faculty “reluctantly agreed to accept her if the 150 male students voted unanimously for her.”5 The men lo they did, presumably as a joke. He began school in October, 1847. He made his residence at Blockley Hospital; she graduated with honors and the rector of the College of Geneva even recognized her degree. “Departing from his usual appearance, he stood up and addressed her in such an emphatic and unusual manner, that she was surprised in his response. “Thank you, sir,” he said. 'With the help of the Almighty, it will be my life's duty to honor this diploma.'”4 Even after graduation, she was criticized for dedicating herself to medicine. After graduation, Elizabeth Blackwell continued her studies in Europe, particularly France. It was a “dangerous time to be in France, as epidemics and revolts against Napoleon raged.”5 She was able to attend a school for midwives, where she gained much first-hand experience.This experience inspired her: “Blackwell embarked on his lifelong goal of educating not only the public, but physicians themselves, about the need for cleanliness and patient comfort.”5 Scientists had not yet discovered the effects of germs or the way they spread, so hospitals were “scary places at the time,” due to the lack of cleanliness in operating rooms. Another contributing factor was the fact that “anesthesia had only existed for three years and was only slowly accepted by physicians.”5 Modern physicians can attest that anesthesia is one of the most important aspects of patient comfort . Elizabeth faced an obstacle before she could begin working towards her goals, one of which was to become a surgeon. He became ill after treating a child with severe eye infections and was unable to work for months due to temporary blindness. He also lost an eye and had to wear a glass eye for the rest of his life. Because of this handicap, she decided to make education about disease prevention and the importance of sanitation her goal. His first lesson was about personal hygiene and physical education. He gained a very small audience and his lectures were accepted mainly by Quakers. She had to start from the bottom when she began practicing medicine, constantly receiving the insult “woman doctor” (associated with home abortions). He continued to teach the importance of sanitation during the Civil War, which led to an exponential decrease in the death rate. While Elizabeth was establishing herself in her field, her sister Emily Blackwell was also graduating from medical school. She was the third woman in America to do so. After the Civil War, the nuns founded a women's medical school, which they called “Woman's Medical College of the New York Infirmary.”5 There were other women's schools, but the nuns offered a more rigorous and focused curriculum. : This is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Elizabeth Blackwell played an integral role in medicine as a pioneer of women's rights to work in the medical field. Without her contribution, prodigious women like Marie Curie might not have been inspired or even been able to work in their fields. Looking beyond gender, Elizabeth Blackwell's emphasis on sanitation practices has led to safer practices by doctors and nurses. His ability to see the connection between the lack of sanitization in operating rooms and postoperative complications and/or infections was undoubtedly revolutionary at that time, when germ theory was not yet fully developed or understood. Elizabeth lived a non-traditional lifestyle for women of the time, never marrying and consequently never having a child of her own (excluding the child she adopted). She “realized that combining this with a demanding career was impossible at that time.”5 Her self-sacrifice and dedication to medicine make her one of the most monumental women in history. Works CitedRiddle, D. (2019). Elizabeth Blackwell: America's first female doctor. National Museum of Women's History. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/elizabeth-blackwellBlackwell, E. (1895). Pioneering work in opening the medical profession to women: autobiographical sketches. Fleming H. Revell Company. Borstelmann, T. (1995). Teaching the hardest task: Women's medical education in the United States. Journal of Women's History, 7(4), 11-33. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25034667Wellcome Collection. (n.d.). Elizabeth Blackwell: a medical pioneer. Collection Welcome..