Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910)

Look, getting into medical school is tough; everyone knows that.

But for Elizabeth Blackwell, her rejection letter had nothing to do with MCAT scores or letters of recommendation. Back in 1849, it was a pretty big deal for a woman to even try to practice medicine, and medical schools weren't exactly eager to help a girl out.

Even once Blackwell graduated, she had a hard time getting a hospital to hire her. She eventually set up her own practice back home in New York, but continued to face professional hostility.

And that's when she became part of the solution, training women in medicine and nursing and providing them with a place to practice. Sometimes, you really do have to do everything yourself.

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