Pioneering Women

The history of women in medicine is summed up well by the following statement from historian Ellen S. More, “For more than a century and a half, American women have grappled with the dilemma of how to be a woman and a physician, how to be different from yet equal to their male colleagues.” In spite of this dilemma, women physicians have brought a fresh perspective, innovative ideas, and brilliant discoveries to medical research and practice. They forged ahead in areas and specialties that they previously had not been allowed to enter, paving the way for future generations of women to follow. Their pioneering work not only advanced the field of medicine, but also played a pivotal role in expanding women’s rights.

The Archives for Women in Medicine includes a great number of women who have been pioneers in medicine. Dr. Leona Baumgartner, among her many accomplishments, was appointed the first female health commissioner in New York City history. The research of Dr. Anne P. Forbes led to the discovery of the disease that bears her name, Forbes-Albright Syndrome. Dr. Eva Neer did groundbreaking research that led to the discovery of a new class of G proteins, changing the medical community’s understanding of how G proteins work. And in 1931, the research of Dr. Myrtelle Canavan led to the identification of Canavan’s disease, a rare, degenerative disorder of the central nervous system.