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Elizabeth Blackwell
She was the first woman in United States' history to get her medical degree. This was a big step for women, because during this time period women usually did not go to school nor get a job.
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/elizabeth-blackwell -
Rebecca Lee Crumpler
She was the first African American woman to get her medical degree. This allowed other African Americans to believe they could make a difference as well. Not only is Sarah a woman, but she is a woman of color, so she defied all odds. She provided medical care to freed slaves who could not afford it.
https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physicians/biography_73.html -
Mary Edwards Walker
She was the first female surgeon and also the first female surgeon in the army
https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physicians/biography_325.html -
Margaret Craighill
She was the first woman doctor to join the US military
https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physicians/biography_72.html -
Gerty Cori
She was the first female to win a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She won it for her discovery of the course of the catalytic conversion of glycogen
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1947/cori-gt/biographical/ -
Henrietta Lacks
Herietta's cells were the first immortal cells found. Her cells would not only not die, but they would reproduce rapidly allowing scientists to run many tests on them. These cells had a huge impact in discovering the polio vaccine, and many more breaks in medicine.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henriettalacks/index.html -
Virginia Apgar
She is known for coming up with the health evaluation of babies when they are first born. Her evaluation is still used to this day.
https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physicians/biography_12.html -
Audrey Evans
She started the study of childhood cancer treatments, which is very meaningful because we are trying to increase the survival rate or childhood cancer patients, and she was the start of all of that. She co-founded the Ronald McDonald camp.
https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physicians/biography_106.html -
Edna Adan
She runs the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital and is and activist for getting rid of female genital mutilation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_Adan_Ismail -
Nancy Dickey
She came up with the Patient's Bill of Rights; which is extremely important to the patient because they set a list of things that are guaranteed to the patient when they are receiving medical care. She was also the first president of the AMA
https://architexas.org/contact/staff/nancy-dickey.html
