Elizabeth Blackwell, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy National Library of Medicine
When she graduated from New York's Geneva Medical College in 1849, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910) became the first woman to earn an MD degree from an American medical school. She supported medical education for women and helped many other women's careers. By establishing the New York Infirmary in 1857, she offered a practical solution to one of the problems facing qualified women who were rejected from internships and training opportunities elsewhere because of their gender.
Read more about Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell.
Rebecca Lee Crumpler, MD — general medicine
Courtesy National Library of Medicine
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831–1895) challenged the racist beliefs that prevented African Americans from pursuing careers in medicine. She graduated from the New England Female Medical College in 1864 to become the first African American woman in the United States to earn an MD degree. Although little has survived to tell the story of Crumpler's life, she has secured her place in the historical record with her book of medical advice for women and children, published in 1883.
Read more about Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler.
For more information about women’s health, visit MedlinePlus.
Rebecca J. Cole, MD — general medicine
Courtesy National Library of Medicine
In 1867, Dr. Rebecca J. Cole (1846–1922) became the second African American woman to receive an MD degree in the United States. Dr. Cole was able to overcome racial and gender barriers to medical education by training in all-female institutions run by women who had been part of the first generation of female physicians graduating mid-century.
Read more about Dr. Rebecca J. Cole.
Illustration of a “Student Dissecting a Leg” on the cover of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, 16 April 1870
Courtesy National Library of Medicine
Women training to become physicians was a topic of popular discussion and debate throughout the 19th century. In April 1870, the popular Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper published an article about the New York Medical College for Women. The illustrations that accompanied the article included this image of a female student dissecting a leg, students in an anatomy lecture, and students in a general lecture hall.
For more information about anatomy, visit MedlinePlus.
Susan La Flesche Picotte, MD — general medicine
Courtesy Nebraska State Historical Society Photograph Collections
As a child, Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte (1865–1915), a member of the Omaha nation, watched a sick woman from her community die because a white doctor would not treat her. Dr. Picotte credited this tragedy with inspiring her to become a physician. The first American Indian woman to earn an MD, she returned to the reservation to provide care to members of her tribe following her training.
Read more about Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte.
For more information about American Indian Health, visit MedlinePlus.
Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, second row third from left, with members of the Omaha Nation on the reservation, 1910
Courtesy Nebraska State Historical Society Photograph Collections
The first Native American woman to earn an MD, Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte (1865–1915) returned to the Omaha reservation to provide care to members of her tribe following her training. The first American Indian woman to earn an MD, she returned to the reservation to provide care to members of her tribe following her training.
Read more about Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte.
For more information about American Indian Health, visit MedlinePlus.
Gerty Theresa Radnitz Cori, MD — research (biochemistry)
Courtesy Becker Medical Library, Washington University School of Medicine
Twenty-five years after immigrating to the United States, Dr. Gerty Cori (1896–1957) became the first woman in America to win a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for research into the metabolism of carbohydrates. Dr. Cori and her husband worked as peers and collaborators for decades. Their research findings were important in developing treatments for diabetes.
Read more about Dr. Gerty Cori.
For more information about diabetes, visit MedlinePlus.
Mary Edwards Walker, MD — surgery
Courtesy Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-112180, photograph by M.J. Powers, Plumb Gallery, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Mary Walker (1832–1919), a Union Army surgeon and prisoner of war during the American Civil War, was the first woman awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Read more about Dr. Mary Walker.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Helen Brooke Taussig, MD — pediatric medicine (cardiology)
Courtesy The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Dr. Helen Taussig (1898–1986) overcame dyslexia and hearing loss to become a leading pediatric cardiologist and pioneering surgeon. She is known as the founder of pediatric cardiology for her innovative work on “blue baby” syndrome.
Dr. Taussig (on the right) examines a child, her boxed hearing aid rests on the wheelchair’s seat.
Read more about Dr. Helen Taussig.
For more information about congenital heart defects, visit MedlinePlus.
Antonia Novello, MD — public health (government), pediatric medicine (nephrology)
Courtesy Antonia C. Novello, MD, MPH, DrPH
When she was sworn in as surgeon general in 1990, Dr. Antonia Novello (b. 1944) became the first female and first Latina to lead the U.S. Public Health Service. Her appointment came after nearly two decades of public service at the National Institutes of Health, where she took a role in drafting national legislation regarding organ transplantation.
Read more about Dr. Antonia Novello.
For more information about organ transplantation, visit MedlinePlus.
Helen Octavia Dickens, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy National Library of Medicine
The daughter of a former slave, Dr. Helen Dickens (1909–2001) was the first African American woman admitted to the American College of Surgeons, a prestigious professional organization. She provided obstetrical and gynecological services and sex education to women living in poverty throughout her lengthy and distinguished career.
Read more about Dr. Helen Octavia Dickens.
For more information about women’s health, visit MedlinePlus.
Katherine A. Flores, MD – general medicine (family), administration
Courtesy Katherine Flores, MD
Dr. Katherine Flores (b. 1953) grew up in a family of migrant farm workers. She became a physician because she wanted to make a difference in the lives of people in her community. After medical school, she returned to her hometown where she organizes community health programs, mentors students, and provides bilingual and bicultural care to the area’s Latinx population.
Read more about Dr. Katherine Flores.
For more information about Hispanic American health, visit MedlinePlus.
Alice Hamilton, MD — research (bacteriology)
Courtesy Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University
Dr. Alice Hamilton (1869–1970) established the field of industrial medicine in the United States. She researched the causes of on-the-job accidents and illnesses, and advocated for reforms that made workplaces safer. In 1919 she became the first woman appointed to the faculty at Harvard Medical School, serving in their new Department of Industrial Medicine. She also worked with the state of Illinois, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the League of Nations on various public health issues.
Read more about Dr. Alice Hamilton.
For more information about occupational health, visit MedlinePlus.
Marilyn Hughes Gaston, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Parklawn Health Library
Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston (b. 1939) faced poverty and prejudice as a young student, but was determined to become a physician. She dedicated her career to medical care for poor and minority families, and campaigns for health care equality for all Americans. Her 1986 study of sickle-cell disease led to a nationwide screening program to test newborns for immediate treatment. She was the first African American woman to direct a public health service bureau (the Bureau of Primary Health Care in the United States Department of Health and Human Services).
Read more about Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston.
For more information about sickle cell disease, visit MedlinePlus.
Lori Arviso Alvord, MD — surgery
Courtesy Lori Arviso Alvord, MD
Dr. Lori Arviso Alvord (b. 1958) combines traditional Navajo healing practices and Western medicine to restore balance in her patients’ lives and to speed their recovery.
Read more about Dr. Lori Arviso Alvord.
For more information about American Indian health, visit MedlinePlus.
Mary Corinna Putnam Jacobi, MD — pediatric medicine, obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University
Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi (1842–1906) was an esteemed medical practitioner and teacher, a harsh critic of the exclusion of women from skilled professions, and a social reformer dedicated to the expansion of educational opportunities for women. Using her medical training, Dr. Jacobi refuted male doctors’ assumptions about menstruation’s negative impact on women’s ability to learn or work.
Read more about Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi.
For more information about women’s health, visit MedlinePlus.
Helen Rodríguez-Trías, MD — pediatric medicine, education (teaching), public health (social medicine)
Courtesy Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Look Magazine Photograph Collection, photograph by Jim Hansen
Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías (1929–2001) expanded the range of public health services in the continental United States, her native Puerto Rico, and around the world. She was an active member of the women's health movement. Dr. Rodríguez-Trías worked to support abortion rights, end forced sterilization, and provide care to underserved people.
Dr. Rodríguez-Trías speaking to new mothers, ca. 1963
Read more about Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías
For more information about postpartum care, visit MedlinePlus.
Virginia Apgar, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (anesthesiology)
Courtesy Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, New York World Telegram & Sun Collection
Dr. Virginia Apgar (1909–1974), the first woman to become a full professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, designed the first standardized method for evaluating the newborn’s transition to life outside the womb—the Apgar Score. Newborn babies still benefit from Dr. Virginia Apgar’s groundbreaking research into the effects of anesthesia during childbirth and advocacy on the prevention of birth defects.
Read more about Dr. Virginia Apgar.
For more information about newborn screening, visit MedlinePlus.
Mary Steichen Calderone, MD — administration (foundation director)
Courtesy Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, photograph by Henry Grossman
Dr. Mary Steichen Calderone (1904–1998) founded the Sex Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) to promote sex and sexuality as healthy, normal parts of life. Her efforts to prepare young people for safe and fulfilling sex lives as adults were revolutionary.
Read more about Dr. Mary Steichen Calderone.
For more information about sexual health, visit MedlinePlus.
Elizabeth Karlin, MD — internal medicine
Courtesy Medical History Department, University of Wisconsin
As a physician and activist, Dr. Elizabeth Karlin (1944–1998) provided needed medical services, including abortion, to women. She persevered in the face of frequent threats to her life and her clinic in Madison, Wisconsin.
Read more about Dr. Elizabeth Karlin.
For more information about women’s health, visit MedlinePlus.
Dorothy Celeste Boulding Ferebee, MD — public health, obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Dorothy Ferebee Collection, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University
Dr. Dorothy Ferebee (1898–1980), center, was a tireless advocate for racial equality and women’s health care. As the medical director for the Mississippi Health Project in the 1930s, Dr. Ferebee brought state and federal resources to poor African Americans in the rural South. She was the founding president of the Women’s Institute, an organization that serves educational, community, government, and non-profit organizations, as well as individual patients.
Read more about Dr. Dorothy Ferebee.
For more information about rural health concerns, visit MedlinePlus.
Martha May Eliot, MD (front row, center) — pediatric medicine, public health
Courtesy Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University
Dr. Martha May Eliot (1891–1978), center front, was the only woman to sign the document creating the World Health Organization (WHO). She served as the assistant director general of the WHO before returning to work at the United States Children’s Bureau, a federal agency established to improve the health and welfare of American children.
Read more about Dr. Martha May Eliot.
For more information about children’s health, visit MedlinePlus.
Matilda Arabella Evans, MD (standing left) — surgery, obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia
Dr. Matilda Arabella Evans (1872–1935) was the first African American woman licensed to practice medicine in South Carolina. She founded Taylor Lane Hospital, the first African American hospital in the city of Columbia, South Carolina.
Read more about Dr. Matilda Arabella Evans.
For more information about African American health, visit MedlinePlus.
Esther M. Sternberg, MD — internal medicine (rheumatology)
Courtesy Kris Hanning
Dr. Esther Sternberg (b. 1951) is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking research into the relationship between the mind, body, stress, and immunity. She served as a top administrator at the National Institutes of Health and is the founding research director for the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona.
Read more about Dr. Esther M. Sternberg.
For more information about stress, visit MedlinePlus.
Edith Irby Jones, MD — internal medicine (geriatrics)
Courtesy Phil Stern and Phil Stern Trust
Thanks to her abilities and talents, Dr. Edith Irby Jones (b. 1927) was the first African American student to attend the University of Arkansas School of Medicine. She received support from her family and the larger African American community. In turn, Jones went on to serve as president of the National Medical Association and has been active in the American Medical Women’s Association.
Read more about Dr. Edith Irby Jones.
For more information about African American health, visit MedlinePlus.
Frances K. Conley, MD — surgery (neurology)
Courtesy National Library of Medicine
Dr. Frances Conley (b. 1940) was first woman appointed to a tenured full professorship of neurosurgery at a medical school in the United States. In 1991, she risked her career when she drew public attention to the sexist environment which, she argued, pervaded Stanford University Medical Center.
Read more about Dr. Frances Conley.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Joan Y. Reede, MD — pediatric medicine, public health, administration (medical school dean), psychiatry (child and adolescent)
Courtesy Joan Y. Reede, MD, MS, MPH, MBA
Dr. Joan Y. Reede (b. 1953), center, works to recruit and prepare minority students for jobs in the biomedical professions, and to promote better health care policies for the benefit of minority populations. She started a program to match students of color with mentors in the biomedical sciences. In 2001, she became the Harvard Medical School's first dean for diversity and community partnership.
Read more about Dr. Joan Y. Reede.
For more information about health disparities, visit MedlinePlus.
Linda M. Dairiki Shortliffe, MD — education (teaching), surgery (urologic)
Courtesy Linda M. Dairiki Shortliffe, MD
Dr. Linda M. Dairiki Shortliffe (b. 1949) built a successful career in the relatively new field of pediatric urology when very few women surgeons were doing such work. Since 1988, she has been at the Stanford University School of Medicine Medical Center and Packard Children’s Hospital as chief of pediatric urology. Since 1993, she has also been director of the Urology Residency Program at Stanford, a program intentionally designed to support young women physicians.
Read more about Dr. Linda M. Dairiki Shortliffe.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Maude Elizabeth Seymour Abbott, MD — internal medicine (cardiology), diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy National Library of Medicine, Images from the History of Medicine, B01504
In 1889, Dr. Maude Abbott’s (1869–1940) application to study medicine at her undergraduate alma mater, McGill University, was rejected because school policy barred women until 1917. Instead, she earned her doctor of medicine degree from Bishop’s Medical College of Montreal, Canada, and later earned worldwide recognition for her research on heart disease. The heart disease classification system she developed became the standard reference guide and was useful in the development of many innovations in cardiology, such as the operation to cure “blue baby syndrome,” developed by Helen Taussig, MD, Alfred Blalock, MD, and surgical technician Vivien Thomas.
Read more about Dr. Maude Elizabeth Seymour Abbott.
For more information about heart disease, visit MedlinePlus.
Jill Nina Afrin, MD — psychiatry
Courtesy Jill Nina Afrin, MD
Dr. Jill Afrin (b. 1962), the first specially trained psychiatrist for the deaf in South Carolina, gives psychiatric consultations in American Sign Language via video conferencing. This innovative approach allows her to treat patients throughout the state over the internet, maximizing her consultation time by cutting down on travel and helping her balance family life with her career.
Read more about Dr. Jill Nina Afrin.
For more information about hearing disorders and deafness, visit MedlinePlus.
Tenley E. Albright, MD — surgery
Courtesy Tenley E. Albright, MD photograph by Ray Foto Services, Inc.
Dr. Tenley Albright (b. 1935) achieved early success and fame as an athlete before pursuing a career in medicine, and she has built a career that incorporates both of these interests. One of only five women in a class of 135 at Harvard Medical School in 1957, Dr. Albright became the first woman to serve as an officer on the United States Olympic Committee 22 years later.
Read more about Dr. Tenley E. Albright.
Hattie Elizabeth Alexander, MD — research (microbiology), pediatric medicine
Courtesy Archives & Special Collections, Columbia University Health Sciences Division
Pediatrician, microbiologist, and educator Dr. Hattie Alexander (1901–1968) won international acclaim for developing a serum to combat influenzal meningitis, a common childhood disease that is nearly always fatal to infants and young children. She pioneered the study of bacterial mutation and resistance to antibiotics, and in 1964, she became one of the first women to head a national medical association as president of the American Pediatric Society.
Read more about Dr. Hattie Elizabeth Alexander.
For more information about meningitis, visit MedlinePlus.
Virginia M. Alexander, MD — obstetrics and gynecology, public health
Courtesy Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine
In 1931, Dr. Virginia Alexander (1900–1949) founded the Aspiranto Health Home in her own house in Philadelphia. She cared for the poorest members of her community, the third largest African American community in America at that time. As well as general medical care and emergency treatment, she and Dr. Helen Dickens, her colleague, delivered babies and ran parenting classes. During World War II, she cared for coal and iron miners as a public health physician in Alabama, again providing much-needed medical services under the most difficult conditions.
Read more about Dr. Virginia M. Alexander.
For more information about African American health, visit MedlinePlus.
Ethel D. Allen, MD — general medicine (osteopathy)
Courtesy Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Dr. Ethel D. Allen (1929–1981) once described herself as, “BFR—a black female Republican, an entity as rare as a black elephant and just as smart.” In her career, she challenged sexism and racism, and was devoted to the disadvantaged in her community as both a health care provider and a politician.
Read more about Dr. Ethel D. Allen.
Dorothy Hansine Andersen, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology), pediatric medicine
Courtesy Archives & Special Collections, Columbia University Health Sciences Division
Dr. Dorothy Hansine Andersen (1901–1963) was the first physician to identify cystic fibrosis and, together with her research team, created the first tests to diagnose it. She also spent nearly a decade examining glycogen storage disease and studied cardiac malformations in great detail. She collected many specimens for her pathological research and left a valuable catalog of disease used to pioneer new surgical treatments.
Read more about Dr. Dorothy Hansine Andersen.
For more information about cystic fibrosis, visit MedlinePlus.
Jean R. Anderson, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Jean R. Anderson, MD
Dr. Jean R. Anderson (b. 1953) is the founder and was the first director of the Johns Hopkins HIV Women’s Health Program, one of the first initiatives in the country to use peer counselors to support patients.
Read more about Dr. Jean R. Anderson.
For more information about HIV/AIDS, visit MedlinePlus.
Kathryn Dorothy Duncan Anderson, MD — surgery (pediatric)
Courtesy Leigh Ann Curl, MD, photograph by Bill Klosicki, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
When Dr. Kathryn D. Anderson (b. 1939) applied for a surgical residency at Harvard Medical School in 1964, she was told that women were too weak to be surgeons. Dr. Anderson has since gone on to become a pediatric surgeon of international renown. In 1992, she was made chief of surgery and vice president of surgery at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and in 2000, she became the first woman president of the American Pediatric Surgical Association.
Read more about Dr. Kathryn Dorothy Duncan Anderson.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Marcia Angell, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy Boston University Photo Services, 99-2828C-3
In 1999, Dr. Marcia Angell (b. 1939) became the first woman to serve as editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, the premier journal of medical science in the United States. She is also committed to broadening the public’s understanding of science and has written for a general audience on the relationships between medicine, ethics, and the law.
Read more about Dr. Marcia Angell.
For more information about medical ethics, visit MedlinePlus.
Kathleen R. Annette, MD — public health (government), general medicine (family)
Courtesy Kathleen R. Annette, MD
Dr. Kathleen R. Annette (b. 1955), a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, is the first Minnesota Ojibwe woman to become a physician, and was the first woman in the Bemidji Indian Health Service in Minnesota to serve as an area director.
Read more about Dr. Kathleen R. Annette.
For more information about American Indian health, visit MedlinePlus.
Vivia Belle Appleton, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Hawaii Medical Library
Dr. Vivia Belle Appleton (1879–1978) spent her early career traveling the globe, working to improve the health of children and mothers. She served with the American Red Cross in France during World War I, endured a brutal winter supervising isolated hospitals in Labrador, Canada, and spent three years on a medical mission to China. Settling in Hawaii in 1925, Dr. Appleton practiced pediatrics there for the next fifty years, receiving widespread recognition for her medical work and community service.
Read more about Dr. Vivia Belle Appleton.
For more information about children's health, visit MedlinePlus.
Linda Susan Aranaydo, MD — general medicine (family)
Courtesy Linda Susan Aranaydo, MD
Dr. Linda Aranaydo (b. 1948), a Muscogee Creek Indian, Kialegee Tribal Town, Bear Clan, has devoted her life to serving her family and her community and is a role model for other women who wish to enter medicine. As a preschool teacher at Hintil Native American Children’s Center in Oakland, California, she was raising two sons as a single parent and had no financial resources when she was admitted to medical school at the age of 37.
Read more about Dr. Linda Susan Aranaydo.
For more information about American Indian health, visit MedlinePlus.
Carol A. Aschenbrener, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology), administration (medical school deans)
Courtesy Carol A. Aschenbrener, MD, MS
Dr. Carol Aschenbrener (b. 1944) brings new perspectives to medical education through her creative approach to helping professional associations build better strategies and develop more effective medical curricula. A fascination with how things work is an undercurrent in Dr. Aschenbrener’s career. It underlies her professional interests and expertise in such areas as curriculum development, program evaluation, epidemiology and treatment of brain tumors, organizational culture, leadership development, and management of change.
Read more about Dr. Carol A. Aschenbrener.
For more information about brain tumors, visit MedlinePlus.
Linda S. Austin, MD — psychiatry
Courtesy Linda S. Austin, MD
Through her lectures, workshops, syndicated radio programs, and other communications media, Dr. Linda Austin (b. 1951) expands her clinical care to educate people across the country on substance abuse and mental health issues.
Read more about Dr. Linda S. Austin.
For more information about substance abuse, visit MedlinePlus.
Mary Ellen Avery, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Mary Ellen Avery, MD, photograph by Bachrach
In the 1950s, Dr. Mary Ellen Avery’s (1927–2011) pioneering research efforts helped lead to the discovery of the main cause of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in premature babies. During a long career in academic medicine, Dr. Avery had a strong interest in helping train young physicians, particularly in pulmonary disease and neonatology. She was a role model and advocate for women entering the medical profession. Over the course of her medical career, she contributed significantly to the field of medicine as a researcher, educator, clinician, and administrator. In 1991, President George Bush conferred the National Medal of Science on Dr. Avery for her work on RDS.
Read more about Dr. Mary Ellen Avery.
For more information about premature babies, visit MedlinePlus.
Emily Partridge Bacon, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Mary Ellen Avery, MD
Dr. Emily Bacon (1891–1972) was the first physician in Philadelphia to devote her practice exclusively to pediatrics—the care of children. She introduced numerous innovations in her 50-year hospital career, including the creation of a “well-baby” clinic and a counseling service for troubled children. She was also a much-loved teacher and combined her clinical practice with a teaching career at the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania for over 30 years.
Read more about Dr. Emily Partridge Bacon.
For more information about children's health, visit MedlinePlus.
S. Josephine Baker, MD — public health, administration (government)
Courtesy National Library of Medicine, Images from the History of Medicine
Dr. S. Josephine Baker (1873–1945) expanded the scope of public health care as the first director of New York’s Bureau of Child Hygiene from 1908 to 1923. In 1917, she became the first woman to earn a doctorate in public health from the New York University and Bellevue Hospital Medical College (later the New York University School of Medicine).
Read more about Dr. S. Josephine Baker.
For more information about children's health, visit MedlinePlus.
Barbara Barlow, MD — pediatric medicine, research, surgery
Courtesy Barbara Barlow, MA, MD
Dr. Barbara Barlow (b. 1938) was the first woman to train in pediatric surgery at Babies Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center (now called New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital). By researching and documenting the causes of injuries to children in Harlem, and increasing public education about their prevention, she has helped to dramatically reduce accidents and injuries to inner-city children in New York and throughout the United States.
Read more about Dr. Barbara Barlow.
For more information about accidents and injuries, visit MedlinePlus.
Emily Dunning Barringer, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy New York Times Archive
Dr. Emily Dunning Barringer (1876–1961) harnessed the benefits of a good education and gained the mentorship of a leading woman physician of her era, Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi, to overcome barriers in her own career and to make it possible for other women physicians to serve their country during World War II. After first being denied an appointment at New York’s Gouverneur Hospital, she was later allowed to take up the position and became the hospital’s first woman medical resident and ambulance physician. During World War II, Barringer lobbied Congress to allow women physicians to serve as commissioned officers in the Army Medical Reserve Corps and in 1943, the passing of the Sparkman Act granted women physicians the right to receive commissions in the Army, Navy, and Public Health Service.
Read more about Dr. Emily Dunning Barringer.
Doris Gorka Bartuska, MD — education (teaching), research (endocrinology), administration (medical association presidents)
Courtesy Doris Gorka Bartuska, MD
Dr. Doris Bartuska (1929–2013) built her own career on her firm commitment to ensure that women would have the chance to pursue their professional goals with equity and opportunity. As a medical school professor, as well as president of the American Women’s Medical Association, she promoted the recruitment of women to leadership roles in academic medicine.
Read more about Dr. Doris Gorka Bartuska.
Barbara Bates, MD — internal medicine, education (teaching)
Courtesy Joan E. Lynaugh, PhD
Dr. Barbara Bates (1928–2002) further developed the role of the nurse practitioner and wrote a guide to patient history-taking that has become the standard text for health practitioners and medical students. Her book, Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking, first published in 1974, has been published in several revised editions and includes a 12-part video supplement, A Visual Guide to Physical Examination.
Read more about Dr. Barbara Bates.
Patricia E. Bath, MD — education (teaching), surgery, surgery, research
Courtesy Copyright Patricia E. Bath, MD
Dr. Patricia E. Bath (1942–2019), an ophthalmologist and laser scientist, was an innovative research scientist and advocate for blindness prevention, treatment, and cure. Her accomplishments included the invention of a device and technique for cataract surgery known as laserphaco, the creation of a new discipline known as “community ophthalmology,” and appointment as the first woman chair of an ophthalmology residency program in the United States, at Drew-UCLA in 1983.
Read more about Dr. Patricia E. Bath.
For more information on vision impairment and blindness, visit MedlinePlus.
Constance Elizabeth Urciolo Battle, MD — pediatric medicine (adolescent), education (teaching), administration, pediatric medicine
Courtesy Constance Elizabeth Urciolo Battle, MD
Dr. Constance Urciolo Battle (b. 1941) practices medicine as a physician and administrator, improving the delivery of quality health care on an individual and institutional level. From 1973 to 1995, she served as chief executive officer and medical director of the Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC, leading the hospital through the transition from a small pediatric nursing home, established in 1883, to a 130-bed accredited pediatric rehabilitation hospital.
Read more about Dr. Constance Elizabeth Urciolo Battle.
Leona Baumgartner, MD — public health (government)
Courtesy National Library of Medicine, Images from the History of Medicine
From 1954 to 1962, Dr. Leona Baumgartner (1902–1991) served as the first woman commissioner of New York City’s Department of Health. She used her position to bring no-nonsense health and hygiene advice to millions of Americans via regular television and radio broadcasts, and by sending health care professionals to visit schools and church groups. Throughout her career, she broadened the scope of public health by teaching preventive medicine in easy-to-understand brochures, and helped to improve the health of New York’s poorest and most vulnerable.
Read more about Dr. Leona Baumgartner.
For more information about germs and hygiene, visit MedlinePlus.
Lillian M. Beard, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Lillian M. Beard, MD
Dr. Lillian M. Beard (b. 1943) makes house calls. Just like pediatricians in earlier decades, she takes time to advise parents on child rearing, development, and nutrition. But Dr. Beard uses today’s mass communications technologies—television, the Internet, and print media—to reach her patients in their homes. Though Dr. Beard still values the one-on-one relationship with patients in her pediatrics practice, she also sees herself as a health eductor with the ability to reach millions of people at once.
Read more about Dr. Lillian M. Beard.
For more information about child nutrition, visit MedlinePlus.
G. Valerie Beckles-Neblett, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy G. Valerie Beckles-Neblett, MB, BS, copyright ASAP Photo
Dr. G. Valerie Beckles-Neblett (b. 1952) managed medical costs and patient services as a network medical director for Aetna. She also organized and led medical missions to Haiti and Honduras, two of the poorest countries in the world. Along with the other doctors she recruited for her trips, Dr. Beckles treated thousands of people — many who had never visited a doctor before.
Read more about Dr. G. Valerie Beckles-Neblett.
Regina Marcia Benjamin, MD — general medicine (family)
Courtesy Regina Marcia Benjamin, MD, MBA
Dr. Regina Benjamin (b. 1956) served as the 18th U.S. surgeon general from 2009 to 2013, appointed by President Barack Obama. Prior to her tenure as the nation’s physician, she practiced as a country doctor in rural Alabama. As founder and CEO of the rural BayouClinic in Bayou La Batre, Dr. Regina Benjamin is making a difference to the underserved poor in a small fishing village on the Gulf Coast of Alabama. It is a town of about 2500 people, about 80 percent of her patients live below the poverty level. Since 2013, she also has served as the chair of Public Health Sciences at Xavier University in New Orleans, LA.
Read more about Dr. Regina Marcia Benjamin.
For more information about rural health concerns, visit MedlinePlus.
(Mary) Alice Bennett, MD — administration (hospital directors), education (teaching), psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy From the Collections of the University of Pennsylvania Archives
Dr. Alice Bennett (1851–1925) improved the treatment of women patients with mental illness by abolishing restraints and introducing occupational therapy at the state hospital where she served as superintendent. In 1880, she became the first woman to obtain a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, and the first woman superintendent of the women’s section of the State Hospital for the Insane in Norristown, Pennsylvania. In 1890, she was the first woman to be elected president of the Montgomery County (Pennsylvania) Medical Society.
Read more about Dr. (Mary) Alice Bennett.
For more information about mental disorders, visit MedlinePlus.
Michelle Anne Bholat, MD — general medicine (family)
Courtesy Michelle Anne Bholat, MD, MPH
Dr. Michelle Anne Bholat (b. 1958) believes that basic health care is a right, and that where medicine cannot cure, compassion can help and heal. As a general practitioner and the vice chair of Clinical Affairs in the Department of Family Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, she cares for patients in some of their most trying times and is teaching medical students how to do the same—with skill and sensitivity, and a recognition of their role as confidantes as well as carers.
Read more about Dr. Michelle Anne Bholat.
Grete Lehner Bibring, MD — psychiatry
Courtesy Archives of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston
According to a colleague, “Grete L. Bibring was a doyenne of the Boston psychiatric community.” Dr. Grete L. Bibring (1899–1977) was appointed chief of psychiatry at Boston’s Beth Israel Hospital in 1946 and in 1961, she became one of only a few women physicians appointed to a full professorship at Harvard Medical School at the time.
Read more about Dr. Grete Lehner Bibring.
For more information about mental disorders, visit MedlinePlus.
JudyAnn Bigby, MD — internal medicine, education (teaching)
Courtesy JudyAnn Bigby, MD, Photo by Michael T. Quan and Courtesy of Patriots Trail Girl Scout Council
Dr. JudyAnn Bigby (b. 1951) served as director of the Harvard Medical School Center of Excellence in Women’s Health. She is devoted to the health care needs of underserved populations, focusing especially on women’s health. She is also nationally recognized for her pioneering work educating physicians on the provision of care to people with histories of substance abuse.
Read more about Dr. JudyAnn Bigby.
For more information about women's health, visit MedlinePlus.
Emily Blackwell, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University
Dr. Emily Blackwell (1826–1910) worked with her sister, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, to establish the New York Infirmary for Women and Children, the first hospital for women in the United States, and the Woman’s Medical College of the New York Infirmary.
Read more about Dr. Emily Blackwell.
Karin J. Blakemore, MD — research (human genetics), obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Karin J. Blakemore, MD
Dr. Karin Blakemore (b. 1953) is a leader in the field of medical genetics. Her experience with in utero fetal treatment and first trimester prenatal diagnosis led to a new area of research, in utero bone marrow transplantation for genetic disorders of the fetus.
Read more about Dr. Karin J. Blakemore.
For more information about genetic disorders, visit MedlinePlus.
Ruth Harriet Bleier, MD — research (neurophysiology)
Courtesy Medical History Department, University of Wisconsin
Ruth Harriet Bleier (1923–1988) was a renowned neurophysiologist who was among the first American scholars to examine gender bias in the modern biological sciences from a feminist perspective. Throughout her career, she combined her interests in scientific and academic work with a commitment to social justice and activism.
Read more about Dr. Ruth Harriet Bleier.
Susan J. Blumenthal, MD — public health (government), psychiatry
Courtesy Susan Jane Blumenthal, MD, MPA
A champion for improving the health of people globally, Dr. Susan J. Blumenthal served as U.S. assistant surgeon general, and senior science and E-health advisor in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where her work focused on a broad range of public health and science issues facing the nation and the world. She is an internationally recognized medical expert and leader who has been a major force in bringing important public health issues, including disease and violence prevention, women’s health, and mental illness to scientific and public attention, helping to place them at the top of our nation’s health care agenda. She has also stimulated many international collaborations on health issues. Dr. Blumenthal has been involved in the national public health response to terrorism and has served as director of the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center. She has also been at the forefront of applying technology to improve heath. Assistant Surgeon General Blumenthal was among the first in the government to use the internet for health education, envisioning and establishing several award-winning health websites. Additionally, Dr. Blumenthal has served as a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University School of Medicine and Tufts University Medical Center, and as distinguished visiting professor of women’s studies at Brandeis University. She also served as senior advisor on public health to the White House Domestic Policy Council, and to the secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Previously, on a special assignment from the government, she was associate vice president for health affairs and a visiting professor of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Read more about Dr. Susan J. Blumenthal.
Jo Ivey Boufford, MD — pediatric medicine, public health (social medicine)
Courtesy New York University Office of Public Affairs
After campaigning for the position of vice president for a year, Dr. Jo Ivey Boufford (b. 1945) broke through the glass ceiling that bars women from many of the highest administrative posts in medicine, to become the first woman president of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. She served in that role from 1985 to 1989.
Read more about Dr. Jo Ivey Boufford.
Nina Starr Braunwald, MD — surgery (thoracic)
Courtesy Eugene Braunwald, MD
Dr. Nina Starr Braunwald (1928–1992) was one of the first women to train as a general surgeon at New York’s Bellevue Hospital, from 1952 to 1955. A pioneer in the field of heart surgery, she led the team that was the first to replace a human heart valve (a valve which she has also designed). She was the first woman to be certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, and the first woman to be elected to the American Association for Thoracic Surgery.
Read more about Dr. Nina Starr Braunwald.
For more information about heart surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Clara Arena Brawner, MD — pediatric medicine, general medicine (family)
Courtesy Spelman College Archives
In the mid 1950s, Dr. Clara Arena Brawner (1929–1991) was the only practicing African American physician in Memphis, Tennessee. Over the next 30 years, she branched out into local politics, health care administration, fundraising, and the study of theology. She is remembered as a fine doctor, an influential campaigner, and an inspiring mentor and role model.
Read more about Dr. Clara Arena Brawner.
Susan M. Briggs, MD — surgery (vascular), public health
Courtesy Susan M. Briggs, MD, MPH
Dr. Susan M. Briggs (b. 1943), a trauma surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, established and became the first director of the International Medical Surgical Response Team (IMSuRT), an emergency response team that, on short notice, organizes and sends teams of doctors, nurses, and other health professionals from throughout New England to emergencies around the globe.
Read more about Dr. Susan M. Briggs.
For more information about disaster preparation and recovery, visit MedlinePlus.
Benjy Frances Brooks, MD — surgery (pediatric)
Courtesy The University of Texas Medical School at Houston
Dr. Benjy Frances Brooks (1918–1998) was the first woman to become a pediatric surgeon in the state of Texas. In her work at Texas Children’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Houston, she conducted research on congenital defects, burn treatment, spleen reparation, and the prevention of hepatitis. A foundation set up in her name has advanced the surgical care of young children in Texas by endowing chairs at medical colleges, donating special equipment to hospitals and medical centers, and providing research grants for the study of pediatric illnesses and diseases.
Read more about Dr. Benjy Frances Brooks.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Anna Elizabeth Broomall, MD — obstetrics and gynecology, education (teaching)
Courtesy Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine
Dr. Anna Broomall (1847–1931) was chief resident physician at the Woman’s Hospital of the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania from 1875 to 1883, and instructor of obstetrics from 1875 to 1879. She became chair of obstetrics in 1879 and served as a professor in the department from 1880 to 1903.
Read more about Dr. Anna Elizabeth Broomall.
For more information about childbirth visit MedlinePlus.
Dorothy Lavinia Brown, MD — surgery
Courtesy Dorothy Lavinia Brown, MD
Dr. Dorothy Lavinia Brown (1919–2004) spent her childhood in an orphanage and grew up to become the first African American woman surgeon in the South, eventually being made chief of surgery at Nashville’s Riverside Hospital. She was also the first African American woman to be made a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
Read more about Dr. Dorothy Lavinia Brown.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Rowine Hayes Brown, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Special Collections Department, Library of the Health Sciences, The University Library, University of Illinois at Chicago
Dr. Rowine Hayes Brown (1913–1999) studied law at night school to help her answer some of the legal and ethical questions she faced as a pediatrician. After graduating from law school in 1961, she became a leading advocate for children’s rights and in 1973, helped draft the first statutes dealing with child abuse in the history of Illinois law.
Read more about Dr. Rowine Hayes Brown.
For more information about child abuse, visit MedlinePlus.
U. Diane Buckingham, MD — psychiatry (child and adolescent)
Courtesy U. Diane Buckingham, MD
Dr. U. Diane Buckingham (b. 1955) began her career in medicine as a registered nurse and decided to train as a physician to be able to respond to the psychiatric needs of her patients, especially children and adolescents. She has worked as a clinical assistant professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and in private practice.
Read more about Dr. U. Diane Buckingham.
For more information about teen mental health, visit MedlinePlus.
Judith Martin Cadore, MD — general medicine (family)
Courtesy Judith Martin Cadore, MD photograph copyright Connie’s by Glenn
“As one who personally experienced segregated health care,” says Dr. Judith Martin Cadore (b. 1957), “I do not want any of my patients to ever have to wonder if they are receiving the best possible care, feel too intimidated to ask questions, or be denied proper care because of their ethnic or economic backgrounds.” Dr. Cadore is a family practitioner in Texas, where she was born and raised. “I provide hope and access for many who have lost faith in or been ignored by the medical community in my small town and the surrounding rural area. I have patients who drive 50 to 100 miles to see a doctor they can talk with. Health care disparities are even more marked in rural areas. Eliminating this reality is, in part, my mission.”
Read more about Dr. Judith Martin Cadore.
For more information about health disparities, visit MedlinePlus.
Helen Mary Caldicott, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Helen Mary Caldicott, MB, BS
Dr. Helen Caldicott (b. 1938) resigned from Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston so that she could devote herself to Physicians for Social Responsibility. As she said at the time, “Why am I treating these children when they might all be killed?” Since 1971, she has waged a vigorous international campaign to educate the public about the medical hazards of the nuclear age, and the changes necessary to stop environmental destruction and nuclear war.
Read more about Dr. Helen Mary Caldicott.
For more information about radiation emergencies, visit MedlinePlus.
Clair Mills Callan, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (anesthesiology), administration
Courtesy Clair Mills Callan, MD, BCh, BAO, MBA
Dr. Clair Callan (b. 1940) has served as vice president of science, quality, and public health standards for the American Medical Association. Although she originally followed in her mother’s footsteps and embarked on a career in anesthesiology, she found it difficult to reconcile the demands of her work with the needs of her family. She moved into medical administration as a way to better balance her career and home life, and has since won great professional recognition as well as personal job satisfaction.
Read more about Dr. Clair Mills Callan.
Selma Harrison Calmes, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (anesthesiology)
Courtesy Selma Harrison Calmes, MD, photograph by Toyo Miyatake Studio
Dr. Selma Calmes (b. 1940) began her career in anesthesiology in the 1960s, when there were few women in the specialty and women physicians were expected to choose between having a career or raising a family. To do both, she has drawn inspiration from the experiences of other women in medicine and is one of the founders of the Anesthesia History Association.
Read more about Dr. Selma Harrison Calmes.
For more information on anesthesia, visit MedlinePlus.
Alexa Irene Canady, MD — surgery (neurology), surgery (pediatric)
Courtesy Alexa Irene Canady, MD
Dr. Alexa Irene Canady (b. 1950) had almost dropped out of college as an undergraduate, but after recovering her self-confidence, she went on to qualify as the first African American woman neurosurgeon in the United States.
Read more about Dr. Alexa Irene Canady.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Myrtelle May Canavan, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy The Harvard Medical Library in the Frances A. Countway Library of Medicine
Dr. Myrtelle May Canavan (1879–1953) had a long and distinguished career as a pathologist, neuropathologist, and curator of an anatomical museum. In addition to being one of the earliest woman pathologists and neuropathologists in the United States, she also identified the condition now known as “Canavan disease,” a progressive degenerative disorder of the central nervous system characterized by spongy changes in the brain.
Read more about Dr. Myrtelle May Canavan.
For more information about Canavan disease and other leukodystrophies, visit MedlinePlus.
Lucy M. Candib, MD — education (teaching), general medicine (family)
Courtesy Lucy M. Candib, MD
In her teaching, lectures, and writings, Dr. Lucy M. Candib (b. 1946) has raised awareness of various possibilities for improving physician-patient relationships, with a special emphasis on bringing caring to the fore. Dr. Candib has taught and practiced family medicine, including obstetrics, in an urban neighborhood family health center in Worcester, Massachusetts, since 1976. The Family Health Center serves as a residency training site within the University of Massachusetts, where she is a professor of family medicine and community health.
Read more about Dr. Lucy M. Candib.
Consuelo E. M. Carmona, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Consuelo E. M. Carmona, MD
An obstetrician and gynecologist in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dr. Consuelo Carmona (b. 1960) helps women make informed choices regarding their health care needs. “I view myself as a provider of health care and information, and allow women to make their own choices — which can include alternative medicine,” said Dr. Carmona. Since 1989, Dr. Carmona has been a partner in Women’s Specialists of New Mexico, a medical practice founded by and for women, and one of the 25 largest businesses owned by women in the state.
Read more about Dr. Consuelo E. M. Carmona.
For more information about women’s health, visit MedlinePlus.
Mary E. Schmidt Case, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (anatomic pathology), diagnostic and therapeutic services (neuropathology), diagnostic and therapeutic services (forensic pathology)
Courtesy Mary E. Schmidt Case, MD
Chief medical examiner in four Missouri counties and professor of pathology at St. Louis University School of Medicine, Dr. Mary E. Case (b. 1943) is a forensic expert on crimes against children. Combining her subspecialties in anatomy, neuropathology, and forensic pathology, Dr. Case is an expert on shaken baby syndrome—brain and body injuries resulting from an abuser’s violent shaking of a child—and is frequently called upon to give her analysis of the evidence in criminal cases regarding the deaths of children.
Read more about Dr. Mary E. Schmidt Case.
For more information about traumatic brain injuries, visit MedlinePlus.
Christine Karen Cassel, MD — administration (medical association presidents), internal medicine (geriatrics), administration (medical school deans)
Courtesy Christine Karen Cassel, MD
“Pursuing difficult questions—in science and in policy—takes one to interesting places,” says Dr. Christine Cassel (b. 1945), a renowned expert in geriatric medicine, medical ethics, and quality of care. “A geriatrician,” she explains, “is like a pediatrician but at the other end of life.... Our job is to improve the quality of life for the elderly and to keep them functional and independent for as long as possible. And when the end of life comes, our job is to keep them as dignified and comfortable as possible.” Geriatrics has only been a formal specialty in American medicine since the 1980s, and although the United States is facing a demographic “bubble” of the aging population, geriatrics is still not one of the most popular specialties.
Read more about Dr. Christine Karen Cassel.
For more information about seniors' health, visit MedlinePlus.
Rita Charon, MD — internal medicine, education (teaching)
Courtesy Rita Charon, MD
As director of the Program in Humanities and Medicine, and the clinical skills assessment program at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Rita Charon (b. 1949) developed an innovative new teaching method. The “parallel chart” system combined literature and medicine together to improve the doctor-patient relationship, and formed part of the only narrative competency course in a United States medical school in 1993.
Read more about Dr. Rita Charon.
Alice Drew Chenoweth, MD — pediatric medicine, public health (government)
Courtesy Historical Collection, Eskind Biomedical Library, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Looking back over her career, Dr. Alice Drew Chenoweth (1903–1998) noted that her hometown of Albany, Missouri was an unlikely place for a shy child to be transformed into a physician. Yet from her small-town beginnings, she eventually made her way to the nation’s capital, serving in a number of distinguished federal government positions at a time when few women held such posts.
Read more about Dr. Alice Drew Chenoweth.
Eliza Lo Chin, MD — internal medicine, education (teaching)
Courtesy Eliza Lo Chin, MD, MPH, photograph by G. Paul Bishop Jr.
A general internist with an interest in women’s health, Dr. Eliza Lo Chin (b. 1967) has drawn inspiration from her female colleagues who strive to combine family responsibilities with a career in medicine. She has collected their experiences in her book, This Side of Doctoring: Reflections From Women in Medicine, published in 2002. For her continuing work on women’s issues in medicine, Dr. Chin was nominated for the New York branch of the American Medical Women’s Association’s Outstanding Woman Physician Award for the year 2000.
Read more about Dr. Eliza Lo Chin.
For more information about women's health, visit MedlinePlus.
May Edward Chinn, MD — internal medicine (oncology), general medicine (family)
Courtesy George B. Davis, PhD
In 1926, Dr. May Edward Chinn (1896–1980) became the first African American woman to graduate from the University and Bellevue Hospital Medical College (later the New York University School of Medicine). She practiced medicine in Harlem for 50 years. A tireless advocate for poor patients with advanced, often previously untreated diseases, she became a staunch supporter of new methods to detect cancer in its earliest stages.
Read more about Dr. May Edward Chinn.
For more information about cancer, visit MedlinePlus.
Donna M. Christian-Christensen, MD — general medicine (family), administration (government)
Courtesy Donna M. Christian-Christensen, MD
Dr. Donna M. Christian-Christensen (b. 1945) served nine terms in the U.S. House of Representatives as the delegate (non-voting) for the U.S. Virgin Islands. She took her responsibilities as a representative well beyond health care policy, and was firmly committed to improving quality-of-life by addressing those issues that influence the environment we live and survive or prosper in.
Read more about Dr. Donna M. Christian-Christensen.
Patricia StandTal Clarke, MD — general medicine (family), obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Patricia StandTal Clarke, MDiv, MD
Dr. Patricia StandTal Clarke (b. 1953), who is part Eastern Band Cherokee (Wolf Clan), is a founding diplomat of the American Board of Holistic Medicine, an ordained Protestant minister, and a physician specializing in an integrative medical approach to treating patients. In her practice, she interweaves prevention with treatment, working toward a full, happy, healthy life for individuals, families, and community.
Read more about Dr. Patricia StandTal Clarke.
For more information about American Indian health, visit MedlinePlus.
Emeline Horton Cleveland, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine
Dr. Emeline Horton Cleveland (1829–1878) entered medicine with strong religious convictions and a desire to minister to the suffering. From her earliest years, she dreamed of service as a foreign missionary, but instead went on to a brilliant career in medicine, becoming a highly respected physician and one of the first American women physicians to perform major gynecological and abdominal surgery. At a time when women’s entry into the profession faced serious opposition, Dr. Cleveland was a striking example of women’s capabilities.
Read more about Dr. Emeline Horton Cleveland.
Elizabeth D. A. Magnus Cohen, MD — surgery
Courtesy Touro Infirmary Archives
Dr. Elizabeth D. A. Magnus Cohen (1820–1921) was Louisiana’s first woman physician. She cared for the people of the French Quarter of New Orleans for 30 years, from 1857 to 1887—when yellow fever and smallpox regularly ravaged the population.
Read more about Dr. Elizabeth D. A. Magnus Cohen.
Raquel Eidelnan Cohen, MD — psychiatry
Courtesy Raquel Eidelnan Cohen, MD, MPH, PhD, photograph by Joan Knight Photography
Dr. Raquel E. Cohen (b. 1922) was a student in the first graduating class to include women from Harvard Medical School, in 1949. She went on to become an international authority on the psychological and social consequences of disasters such as Hurricane Mitch in Central America in 1998, and intervention methods for humanitarian workers, used in assisting survivors of the Mariel Boatlift of 1980 and victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Her expertise in disaster management has been sought by both public and private relief organizations.
Read more about Dr. Raquel Eidelnan Cohen.
For more information on coping with disasters, visit MedlinePlus.
Lorraine Hanlon Comanor, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (anesthesiology), research
Courtesy Lorraine Hanlon Comanor, MD
Dr. Lorraine Hanlon Comanor (b. 1946), a champion ice skater in her teenage years, moved from a career as a practicing anesthesiologist to clinical research.
Read more about Dr. Lorraine Hanlon Comanor.
For more information about anesthesia, visit MedlinePlus.
Rhonda L. Cornum, MD — surgery (urologic)
Courtesy US Army
Retired Brigadier General Rhonda L. Cornum has enjoyed a distinguished career as an Army medical doctor and officer, and is an advocate for gender equality. In 2001, when she held the rank of colonel, she explained that, “You shouldn’t think of yourself as a female colonel. You should think of yourself as a colonel who just happens to be a woman...I guess if I’m a crusader for anything, its equal opportunity for everybody.”
Read more about Dr. Rhonda L. Cornum.
Nereida Correa, MD — general medicine (family), obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Nereida Correa, MD, MA
Nereida Correa (b. 1946), who began her career as a registered nurse, became the first Hispanic woman to be named chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, a large, hospital-based group practice in the Bronx. As a faculty member at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in both obstetrics and gynecology and family practice, she is active in the recruitment and mentoring of students, and in residency education. At Lincoln, she serves as a clinician, mentor, and role model for members of her community. Most importantly, she is able to provide direct patient care, perform surgery, and deliver babies.
Read more about Dr. Nereida Correa.
Molly Joel Coye, MD — administration (foundation directors), public health (government)
Courtesy Molly Joel Coye, MA, MD, MPH, photograph copyright Maurice Ramirez Photo
Dr. Molly Joel Coye (b. 1947) is the founder and was the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Health Technology Center, a non-profit organization which promotes the use of new technologies to improve the health of individuals and communities. She has run health departments in two states, has served as director of a health care policy group, and has also directed product development for a consumer software company. Dr. Coye enjoys the challenge of taking on such different tasks and has built a very varied career.
Read more about Dr. Molly Joel Coye.
Margaret D. Craighill, MD — surgery, obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy National Library of Medicine, Images from the History of Medicine
In the course of her long and distinguished medical career, Dr. Margaret D. Craighill (1898–1977) served as dean of the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania and was the first woman physician to become a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army.
Read more about Dr. Margaret D. Craighill.
Leigh Ann Curl, MD — surgery (orthopedic)
Courtesy Bill Klosicki, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
Dr. Leigh Ann Curl (b. 1963) is an orthopedic surgeon who combines her skills as a doctor with her interest and background in top-level athletics. Along with an appointment as assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, she was appointed orthopedic surgeon for the Baltimore Ravens. She was the first woman to be a team physician in the National Football League.
Read more about Dr. Leigh Ann Curl.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Sadye Beatryce Curry, MD — internal medicine (gastroenterology), education (teaching)
Courtesy Sadye Beatryce Curry, MD
Dr. Sadye Beatryce Curry (b. 1941) is the first African American woman in the United States to become a gastroenterologist. “...at the time of my training,” she says, “it was considered to be a ‘man’s profession’ much more so than it is today. There were male physicians who expected the ‘girls’ to be out sick once a month. It was probably that type of asinine thought lingering in my mind that allowed me to work at Howard University for the last 28 years while taking just one day of sick leave.”
Read more about Dr. Sadye Beatryce Curry.
For more information about digestive diseases, visit MedlinePlus.
Ruth E. Dayhoff, MD — education (medical informatics)
Courtesy Ruth E. Dayhoff, MD
Ruth E. Dayhoff (b. 1952) is at the forefront of medical informatics. As the medical technologies used to diagnose disease have become more complex, corresponding new information systems have been developed to analyze, store, and present the new types of data. Dr. Dayhoff followed her mother, Dr. Margaret Oakley Dayhoff, into the field she pioneered in the 1960s, heading the VistA Imaging Project at the Department of Veterans Affairs—a unique, innovative system that was eventually implemented in all VA medical centers across the United States.
Read more about Dr. Ruth E. Dayhoff.
For more information about diagnostic imaging, visit MedlinePlus.
Catherine D. DeAngelis, MD — administration, pediatric medicine
Courtesy Catherine DeAngelis, MD, MPH
In her role as the first woman editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Catherine DeAngelis (b. 1940) made a special effort to publish substantive scientific articles on women’s health issues. The journal plays an important role in bringing new research to light and featured articles can lead to fundamental changes in treatment. Under her editorship, the journal published a landmark study questioning the benefits of hormone replacement therapy in 2002. She also served as editor of the Archive of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine from 1993 to 2000.
Read more about Dr. Catherine D. DeAngelis.
For more information about women's health, visit MedlinePlus.
Leila Alice Daughtry Denmark, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Leila Alice Daughtry Denmark, MD
When she retired in 2001, Dr. Leila Daughtry Denmark (1898–2012) was America’s oldest known practicing physician. She was one of the first woman pediatricians in Atlanta, and had been seeing patients and advising parents for more than 70 years. Her remarkable career has been reported locally and in the national news, and in 1998, when she was 100 years old, her ongoing work was featured in a profile in People magazine.
Read more about Dr. Leila Alice Daughtry Denmark.
For more information about children's health, visit MedlinePlus.
Carolyn R. Denning, MD — pediatric medicine, research
Courtesy Carolyn R. Denning, MD
When Dr. Carolyn R. Denning (b. 1927–2016) published her first article on cystic fibrosis (CF) in 1958, those diagnosed with the disease rarely lived to enter puberty. After her 40-year career devoted to the illness, 38.7 percent of those with CF in the United States lived to 18 or older. Many of the strides in life expectancy and quality of life are due to the tireless efforts of Dr. Denning and others who have spent their lives working to understand cystic fibrosis and treat those patients diagnosed with the disease.
Read more about Dr. Carolyn R. Denning.
For more information about cystic fibrosis, visit MedlinePlus.
Jane F. Desforges, MD — internal medicine (hematology)
Courtesy Jane R. Desforges, MD
Dr. Jane F. Desforges (1921–2013) was widely recognized as a distinguished hematologist, physician, and outstanding teacher. During her 60 years in medicine, she worked in every aspect of the field, from scientific research to medical education, clinical practice, and medical publishing. From 1960 to 1993, she was associate editor of The New England Journal of Medicine, the world’s pre-eminent medical journal.
Read more about Dr. Jane F. Desforges.
For more information about blood disorders, visit MedlinePlus.
Katherine M. Detre, MD — research
Courtesy Katherine Maria Drechsler Detre, MD, MPH, DrPH
In 2002, Dr. Katherine M. Detre (1926–2006) was named a distinguished professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health, in recognition of her many acheivements. A leading expert in epidemiological analysis, she designed and led large-scale health studies undertaken across the country.
Read more about Dr. Katherine M. Detre.
Nancy Wilson Dickey, MD — administration (medical school deans), general medicine (family), administration (medical association presidents)
Courtesy Nancy Wilson Dickey, MD
Dr. Nancy Dickey (b. 1950) was the first woman to be elected president of the American Medical Association (AMA). When she took on the role, she was required to spend nearly 170 days of the year traveling the country and abroad on AMA business. As the mother of three, educator, and director of a family practice program, she has had to work hard to balance all her responsibilities, yet she still enjoys making time to see patients and keep up with the practice of medicine.
Read more about Dr. Nancy Wilson Dickey.
Helen Aird Dickie, MD — internal medicine (pulmonology)
Courtesy University of Wisconsin Archives, Madison
Friends and colleagues termed Dr. Helen Aird Dickie (1913–1988) “a giant in Wisconsin medicine.” She was a pioneer in the detection and treatment of tuberculosis, and identified a disease among Wisconsin farmers, which she called “farmer’s lung,” that involves a hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by exposure to fermented, moldy hay. She also devised a means for its prevention. Spending most of her career in the Department of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin, she earned national renown for her work on pulmonary disorders.
Read more about Dr. Helen Aird Dickie.
For more information about tuberculosis, visit MedlinePlus.
Leah J. Dickstein, MD — psychiatry
Courtesy Leah J. Dickstein, MD, MA
Psychiatrist Dr. Leah J. Dickstein (b. 1934) is a former president of the American Medical Women’s Association and vice president of the American Psychiatric Association. Her innovative Health Awareness Workshop Program, at the University of Louisville, was based on her experience attending medical school while raising a family. The popular program, which covered everything from individual well-being to personal relationships, as well as race and gender issues, made the University of Louisville one of the nation’s most family-friendly medical colleges.
Read more about Dr. Leah J. Dickstein.
Marie Amos Dobyns, MD — internal medicine (geriatrics)
Courtesy Marie Amos Dobyns, MD, PA
Dr. Marie Amos Dobyns is an Eastern Cherokee who fully integrates her American Indian heritage into her medical practice. She has worked in Maryland since 1986, providing counseling and care to more than 3,000 patients. Dr. Dobyns, whose sister is the internationally acclaimed musician and singer Tori Amos, follows an holistic approach to heal all aspects of her patients. She considers her approach complementary to the way that her sister uses music to enhance people’s lives.
Read more about Dr. Marie Amos Dobyns.
For more information about American Indian Health, visit MedlinePlus.
Sarah Read Adamson Dolley, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Edward G. Miner Library, Rochester New York
Dr. Sarah Adamson Dolley (1829–1909) of Rochester, New York was the first woman physician to complete a hospital internship. She was a founder of one of the first general women’s medical societies, the Practitioners’ Society of Rochester, New York, and the Provident Dispensary for Women and Children (an outpatient clinic for the working poor) established by the society. She was also the first president of the Women’s Medical Society of New York State.
Read more about Dr. Sarah Read Adamson Dolley.
Joanne Froio Domson, MD — pediatric medicine (immunology)
Courtesy Joanne Froio Domson, MD
Dr. Joanne Froio Domson (b. 1944) is an allergist and pediatrician who has combined a busy and challenging career in medicine with a hectic family life, raising five children and enjoying balancing all her responsibilities.
Read more about Dr. Joanne Froio Domson.
For more information about allergies, visit MedlinePlus.
Janice Green Douglas, MD — internal medicine (endocrinology), internal medicine
Courtesy Janice Green Douglas, MD
Dr. Janice E. Douglas (b. 1943), a fellow of the American Heart Association, decided to research hypertension and how cells control blood pressure after two of her mentors from medical school suffered strokes. She was a professor of medicine, and physiology and biophysics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, and as director of hypertension in the Department of Medicine at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and Universitry Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, she received over $20 million in research funding.
Read more about Dr. Janice Green Douglas.
For more information about hypertension, visit MedlinePlus.
Ethel Collins Dunham, MD — public health, pediatric medicine
Courtesy Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University
Dr. Ethel Collins Dunham (1883–1969) and her life-partner, Martha May Eliot devoted their lives to the care of children. Dunham focused on premature babies and newborns, becoming chief of child development at the Children’s Bureau in 1935. She established national standards for the hospital care of newborn children, and expanded the scope of health care for growing youngsters by monitoring their progress in regular home visits by Children’s Bureau staff.
Read more about Dr. Ethel Collins Dunham.
For more information about premature babies, visit MedlinePlus.
Harriet Pearson Dustan, MD — research (cardiology)
Courtesy The University of Vermont Development and Alumni Relations
During her medical career, Dr. Harriet Pearson Dustan (1920–1999) was involved in a series of innovations in the detection and treatment of hypertension. As a member of the noted Cleveland Clinic team, she was among the first to suggest that reducing dietary sodium could lower hypertension and cardiac risks. She was the second woman president of the American Heart Association, the first editor-in-chief of its journal, Hypertension, and the first woman on the Board of Governors of the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Read more about Dr. Harriet Pearson Dustan.
For more information about hypertension, visit MedlinePlus.
Georgia Rooks Dwelle, MD — public health, pediatric medicine, obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Spelman College Archives
Dr. Georgia Dwelle (1884–1977), the first Spelman College alumna to attend medical school, established the Dwelle Infirmary in 1920 in Atlanta. It was Georgia’s first general hospital for African Americans and first obstetrical hospital for African American women. The infirmary, which also featured a pediatric clinic, was Georgia’s first venereal disease clinic for African Americans, and offered Atlanta’s first “Mother’s Club” for African American women.
Read more about Dr. Georgia Rooks Dwelle.
For more information about sexually transmitted diseases, visit MedlinePlus.
Sara K. Dye, MD — surgery
Courtesy Sara K. Dye, MD
Dr. Sara K. Dye (b. 1945) works to reduce the number of diabetes-related amputations among American Indians. In 1984, she developed the first non-invasive vascular laboratory for the Indian Health Services and was appointed director of the institute.
Read more about Dr. Sara K. Dye.
For more information about American Indian health, visit MedlinePlus.
Ruth Marguerite Easterling, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy Tufts University School of Medicine
Dr. Ruth Marguerite Easterling (1898–1943), pathologist, worked with William Augustus Hinton, the African American physician who developed the Hinton test for syphilis. She also served on the staff of the Tuskegee Veterans Administration Hospital in Alabama, and was director of laboratories at the Cambridge Massachusetts City Hospital. Although not many details regarding her life and work have been preserved, she is memorialized by a scholarship for minority students established in her name at her alma mater, Tufts University.
Read more about Dr. Ruth Marguerite Easterling.
For more information about syphilis, visit MedlinePlus.
Lena Frances Edwards, MD — public health, obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University
Dr. Lena Edwards (1900–1986) was one of the first African American women to be board-certified as an obstetrician-gynecologist as well as to gain admission to the International College of Surgeons. Throughout her career, she served the poor, lobbying for better health care for anyone who needed it, regardless of what they could afford.
Read more about Dr. Lena Frances Edwards.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Louise Eisenhardt, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (neuropathology)
Courtesy American Association of Neurological Surgeons’ Archive
During her lifetime, Dr. Louise Eisenhardt (1891–1967) was considered one of the foremost neuropathologists in the world. A protégé, friend, and colleague of Dr. Harvey Cushing, the “father of brain surgery,” she was for many years considered the world expert on brain tumor diagnosis. When the Journal of Neurosurgery was first published in 1944, she became its managing editor, a position she held for 22 years. Under her editorship, the journal became known as one of the world’s most outstanding scientific publications. She also was the first woman president of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (originally the Harvey Cushing Society).
Read more about Dr. Louise Eisenhardt.
For more information about brain tumors, visit MedlinePlus.
M. Joycelyn Elders, MD — pediatric medicine (endocrinology)
Courtesy Parklawn Health Library
Dr. Joycelyn Elders (b. 1933), the first person in the state of Arkansas to become board certified in pediatric endocrinology, was the 15th surgeon general of the United States, the first African American and only the second woman to head the U.S. Public Health Service. Long an outspoken advocate of public health, Elders was appointed surgeon general by President Clinton in 1993.
Read more about Dr. M. Joycelyn Elders.
Lois Taylor Ellison, MD — internal medicine (cardiology)
Courtesy Lois Taylor Ellison, MD
With her husband Dr. Robert G. Ellison, Dr. Lois Taylor Ellison (b. 1923) established the Medical College of Georgia’s first Cardiopulmonary Laboratory in 1956, and became its first director. She has devoted a half-century of service to medical education at the Medical College of Georgia, her alma mater. She is also the mother of five sons, three of whom are physicians.
Read more about Dr. Lois Taylor Ellison.
Mary Jane England, MD — psychiatry (child and adolescent), administration (medical school deans), public health
Courtesy Mary Jane England, MD, photograph copyright Zona Photo
Dr. Mary Jane England’s (b. 1938) career includes a variety of leadership roles in the field of mental health services, administration, and education. As a psychiatrist, Dr. England has been especially interested in women’s issues and family policy. Witnessing the campaigns for social and economic rights for women, minorities, and the poor in the 1960s and 1970s, Dr. England responded to these issues through her work in community, public health services, and mental health.
Read more about Dr. Mary Jane England.
For more information about mental disorders, visit MedlinePlus.
Roselyn Payne Epps, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Roselyn Payne Epps, MD, MPH, MA, photograph by George Allan
Dr. Roselyn Payne Epps (1930–2014) spent her life and career as an advocate for women, minorities, and the underserved. Combining her skills as doctor and administrator, she was recognized for her foresight and leadership in medicine, pediatrics, maternal and child health, women’s health, and public health. As the first African American local and national president of the American Medical Women’s Association, she helped to establish the AMWA Foundation, to endow its women’s health initiatives and to support research advocacy, service, and scholarship programs.
Read more about Dr. Roselyn Payne Epps.
For more information about women's health, visit MedlinePlus.
Marie Diana Equi, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Oregon Historical Society, #OrHi23491
Dr. Marie Equi (1872–1952) was dedicated to the expansion of women’s reproductive choices, including access to birth control and abortion. She was a leading figure in public health campaigns and organized a contingent of Portland doctors and nurses to travel to San Francisco in response to the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. In recognition of her efforts, she received an award from President Theodore Roosevelt.
Read more about Dr. Marie Diana Equi.
For more information about birth control, visit MedlinePlus.
Angela M. Erdrich, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Angela M. Erdich, MD
As a member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa (Ojibwe) from Wahpeton, North Dakota, Dr. Angela M. Erdrich (b. 1965) brings her interest in American Indian art, history, and health care systems to her practice of pediatric medicine. After a number of years teaching art and English, she trained as a physician to help the underserved. She continues to use her previous education in her medicine—as she says, “I enjoy the combination of art and medicine.”
Read more about Dr. Angela M. Erdrich.
For more information about American Indian Health, visit MedlinePlus.
Alice Ettinger, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (radiology)
Courtesy From Tufts University School of Medicine, Archives
Radiologist and educator Dr. Alice Ettinger (1899–1993) came to the United States in 1932, to demonstrate Dr. Hans Heinrich Berg’s spot-film device and change the field of gastrointestinal radiology in America. She taught at Tufts University School of Medicine for 53 years, serving as the first chair of the department of radiology.
Read more about Dr. Alice Ettinger.
For more information about diagnostic imaging, visit MedlinePlus.
Audrey Elizabeth Evans, MD — pediatric medicine (oncology)
Courtesy The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia photograph by Jean E. Bubaker
Dr. Audrey Evans (b. 1925) developed the Evans Staging System for neuroblastoma, a malignant hemorrhagic tumor of the adrenal medulla that occurs mainly in infants and children. She also created a “home-away-from-home” for the families of cancer patients undergoing treatment and co-founded a summer camp for children with cancer and their friends.
Read more about Dr. Audrey Elizabeth Evans.
For more information about neuruoblastoma, visit MedlinePlus.
Denise L. Faustman, MD — research (immunology)
Courtesy Denise L. Faustman, PhD, MD
At the laboratory she directs, Dr. Denise Faustman (b. 1958) and her colleagues investigate autoimmune diseases, with a specific focus on women patients. Dr. Faustman invented the concept of producing genetically engineered pigs as transplantation donors, identified two biological pathways that allow treatment of autoimmunity, and identified a new mutation that may explain some of the differences between the ways men and women experience the same diseases.
Read more about Dr. Denise L. Faustman.
For more information about autoimmune diseases, visit MedlinePlus.
M. Irené Ferrer, MD — internal medicine (cardiology)
Courtesy Marianne J. Legato, MD
As a young physician, Dr. Irené Ferrer (1915–2004) was the first woman to serve as chief resident at Bellevue Hospital, where she was given a prestigious opportunity: to work with a leading team of cardiologists who were developing the cardiac catheter. Dr. Ferrer played a vital role in the Nobel prize-winning project, which was also an important step in the development of open-heart surgery.
Read more about Dr. M. Irené Ferrer.
For more information about heart surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Marcella Farinelli Fierro, MD — education (teaching), diagnostic and therapeutic services (forensic pathology)
Courtesy Marcella Farinelli Fierro, MD
In 1994, Dr. Marcella Fierro (b. 1941) was appointed chief medical examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Retired from that position in 2008, she also co-directed the Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine, offering week-long courses on topics such as advanced death investigation to medical examiners, crime scene investigators, judges, law enforcement investigators, prosecutors, forensic scientists, nurses, and others working in forensic science.
Read more about Dr. Marcella Farinelli Fierro.
Frances McLemore Fisk, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Frances McLemore Fisk, MD photograph by Kim Jew Photography studio
A practicing obstetrician-gynecologist in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dr. Frances McLemore Fisk (b. 1944) works as a partner with her patients to ensure that they reach and maintain both physical and mental well-being. She considers herself an advocate for the rights of the patient and firmly believes in the importance of viewing health care problems within the wider context of each individual’s circumstances.
Read more about Dr. Frances McLemore Fisk.
Faith Thayer Fitzgerald, MD — education (teaching)
Courtesy Faith Thayer Fitzgerald, MD
Dr. Faith Thayer Fitzgerald (b. 1943) has devoted her career to educating the next generation of physicians. “I try to exemplify to students and house staff the exhilaration of medicine, the honor and awesome responsibility of patient trust and the beauty of the scientific thought process,” she says. She has won more than 30 teaching awards for her work on the art and science of medicine, and she continues to uphold the highest standards for herself and her students.
Read more about Dr. Faith Thayer Fitzgerald.
Judith Flores, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Judith Flores, MD
Dr. Judith Flores (b. 1950) wanted to become a “doctora” for as long as she can remember. It was the highest achievement she could imagine, and she wanted to help make a difference in the lives of the people in the Hispanic community. She has done exactly that, developing an award-winning bilingual, bicultural asthma management program that reached out to New York City’s Hispanic community in Brooklyn. The program has improved the quality of life for people with asthma and reduced the severity of asthma attacks.
Read more about Dr. Judith Flores.
For more information about asthma, visit MedlinePlus.
Virginia Davis Floyd, MD — internal medicine, administration, public health
Courtesy Virginia Davis Floyd, MD, MPH
Dr. Virginia Davis Floyd (b. 1951) makes a difference by extending medical care to underserved populations around the world and integrating indigenous medical traditions with Western methods. In 1991, as a W. K. Kellogg Foundation National Leadership Fellowship award recipient, Dr. Floyd studied traditional medicine and indigenous cultures in Egypt, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Guatemala, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Hawaii, as well as Native American Nations in the United States. “The first thing I learned,” she says, “is how poorly trained I am as a healer. I am a good technician, but I don’t have a clue about healing your soul. It has brought me full circle... Through my studies, I’ve realized that indigenous knowledge is true science. The award changed my personal and professional life.”
Read more about Dr. Virginia Davis Floyd.
Kathleen M. Foley, MD — education (teaching), internal medicine (neurology)
Courtesy Kathleen M. Foley, MD
Dr. Kathleen M. Foley (b. 1944) has dedicated her career to the assessment and treatment of patients with chronic pain. Among the first American physicians to focus primarily on current theories and treatments, Dr. Foley has defined pain syndromes and causes, developed scientific guidelines for pain management, and conducted pharmacological studies. Her work has made her a national and international advocate for better palliative care for the dying.
Read more about Dr. Kathleen M. Foley.
For more information about chronic pain, visit MedlinePlus.
Justina Laurena Ford, MD — pediatric medicine, obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Black American West Museum & Heritage Center
Dr. Justina Laurena Ford (1871–1952) challenged and overcame gender and racial barriers in her medical career to become the first African American woman physician licensed to practice in Colorado. In 1950, just two years before her death, she was still the only black woman physician in the state.
Read more about Dr. Justina Laurena Ford.
Jean L. Fourcroy, MD — obstetrics and gynecology (reproductive endocrinology), surgery (urologic)
Courtesy Jean L. Fourcroy, MD, PhD, MPH
Dr. Jean L. Fourcroy (1930–2016) postponed studying medicine to support her husband’s career and raise a family. She was 42 years old and the mother of four teenagers when she began training as a physician in 1972, and went on to become a leading advocate for women in medicine and a nationally-recognized scientist and surgeon.
Read more about Dr. Jean L. Fourcroy.
Virginia Kneeland Frantz, MD — education (teaching), surgery (pathlogy)
Courtesy Archives & Special Collections, Columbia University Health Sciences Division
Dr. Virginia Kneeland Frantz (1896–1967) is remembered as a surgical pathologist and an innovative teacher, and her work both in the laboratory and the classroom earned her numerous awards. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, she made a series of discoveries regarding the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid, breast, and pancreatic tumors, and in 1959, she published an account of pancreatic tumors for the Armed Forces Atlas of Tumor Pathology , which soon became the standard text on the subject.
Read more about Dr. Virginia Kneeland Frantz.
For more information about pancreatic cancer, visit MedlinePlus.
Bernadette T. Freeland-Hyde, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Bernadette T. Freeland-Hyde, MD
Dr. Bernadette Freeland-Hyde (b. 1959) has served the Salt River Maricopa Indian Community since 1999. “I grew up on the Navajo reservation at a time when not many succeeded in college and beyond,” she says. “When my patients look at me, it gives them encouragement.”
Read more about Dr. Bernadette T. Freeland-Hyde.
For more information about American Indian health, visit MedlinePlus.
Vanessa Northington Gamble, MD — public health, general medicine (family)
Courtesy Vanessa Northington Gamble, MD, PhD
Dr. Vanessa Northington Gamble (b. 1953) is a physician and historian of medicine. Raised in a poor neighborhood in West Philadelphia in the 1950s, she has become an influential spokesperson for equal access to quality medical care for all Americans. She chaired the Tuskegee Syphilis Study Legacy Committee in 1997, which prompted a presidential apology for the treatment of African American patients.
Read more about Dr. Vanessa Northington Gamble.
For more information about syphilis, visit MedlinePlus.
Nancy E. Gary, MD — administration (medical school deans), internal medicine (nephrology)
Courtesy Nancy E. Gary, MD
Nationally and internationally, Dr. Nancy E. Gary (1937–2006) helped shape the medical institutions that form the future of medicine. As the first woman to serve as dean of two American medical schools, Dr. Gary was also administrator of the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration Task Force on Graduate Medical Education and president of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). “There I focused some ECFMG energy...on international medical education, especially in developing countries.”
Read more about Dr. Nancy E. Gary.
Helene D. Gayle, MD — pediatric medicine, administration (foundation directors), public health (government)
Courtesy Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH
“Dr. Gayle exemplifies the best in public health leadership,” said Dr. David Satcher, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in June 1999, “...she has made significant contributions to the international and domestic study, control, and prevention of HIV and AIDS and other infectious diseases.” With these words, Dr. Helene D. Gayle (b. 1955) was sworn in as an assistant surgeon general and rear admiral in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service.
Read more about Dr. Helene D. Gayle.
For more information about HIV/AIDS, visit MedlinePlus.
Beatrice Elizabeth Gee, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Beatrice Elizabeth Gee, MD
Pediatric hematologist Dr. Beatrice Gee (b. 1961) is a professor of clinical pediatrics at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and practices medicine at the Georgia Sickle Cell Center at Grady Hospital. In 2003, she received a major grant to study the arterial narrowing in sickle cell disease that can cause strokes in young children.
Read more about Dr. Beatrice Elizabeth Gee.
For more information about sickle cell disease, visit MedlinePlus.
Julie Louise Gerberding, MD — public health
Courtesy Julie Louise Gerberding, MD, MPH
Dr. Julia L. Gerberding (b. 1955) began her career in medicine as the first cases of AIDS were appearing in the United States. Concerned that patients were not receiving the care they needed because of the fears of medical professionals about contracting HIV, Dr. Gerberding investigated the circumstances of transmission to contribute to the medical response to the epidemic. She was a leader in the country’s response to infectious diseases as the first woman to be appointed president of the Centers for Disease Control.
Read more about Dr. Julie Louise Gerberding.
For more information about HIV/AIDS, visit MedlinePlus.
Jennifer A. Giroux, MD — internal medicine (epidemiology)
Courtesy Jennifer A. Giroux, MD
Dr. Jennifer A. Giroux (b. 1962) built her career in epidemiology as an epidemic intelligence service officer with the Indian Health Service, where she promoted preventive measures to lower the rates of tuberculosis and HIV infection, cervical and breast cancers, and diabetes, among American Indian populations. She has also worked in the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read more about Dr. Jennifer A. Giroux.
For more information about American Indian Health, visit MedlinePlus.
Nunzia Bettinsoli Giuse, MD — education (medical informatics)
Courtesy Nunzia Bettinsoli Giuse, MD, MLS
Dr. Nunzia Bettinsoli Giuse (b. 1957), the first woman from her small town in Italy to attend university, was the director of Eskind Biomedical Library at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee from 2007 to 2016. Since 1985, she has worked in the relatively new field of medical informatics, evaluating methods for the collection and presentation of the rapidly expanding body of current medical knowledge, to aid research and diagnosis. She earned national recognition for her research and management of the library, and from 2001 to 2006 held the title of “distinguished member” of the Academy of Health Information Professionals.
Read more about Dr. Nunzia Bettinsoli Giuse.
Helen Hofsommer Glaser, MD — psychiatry, pediatric medicine
Courtesy Dr. Robert J. Glaser
A respected pediatrician and psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hofsommer Glaser (1924–1999) was known as an effective, supportive, and imaginative editor of The Pharos, the journal of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
Read more about Dr. Helen Hofsommer Glaser.
Lynn R. Goldman, MD — internal medicine (epidemiology), pediatric medicine
Courtesy Lynn R. Goldman, MS, MPH, MD
One of the most influential public health physicians of our time, Dr. Lynn R. Goldman (b. 1951) speaks for those members of our society who rarely have a voice in policy-making decisions—our children. A pediatrician and epidemiologist, Dr. Goldman combines her two specialties to improve national health policy, especially as pertains to children’s environmental health. Her efforts resulted in the Food Protection Act passed by Congress in 1996, the first national environmental law to explicitly require measures to protect children from lead poisoning and pesticides.
Read more about Dr. Lynn R. Goldman.
For more information about environmental health, visit MedlinePlus.
Eliza Ann Grier, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine
Dr. Eliza Ann Grier (1864–1902) was an emancipated slave who faced racial discrimination and financial hardship while pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor. To pay for her medical education, she alternated every year of her studies with a year of picking cotton. It took her seven years to graduate. In 1898, she became the first African American woman licensed to practice medicine in the state of Georgia, and although she was plagued with financial difficulties throughout her education and her career, she fought tenaciously for her right to earn a living as a woman doctor.
Read more about Dr. Eliza Ann Grier.
Mary Elizabeth Guinan, MD — internal medicine (epidemiology)
Courtesy Mary Elizabeth Guinan, MD, PhD
Dr. Mary Guinan, a physician and scientist who worked at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), has been a leading researcher and educator on sexually transmitted diseases. When working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Guinan was among the first medical scientists in America to identify and research the emerging HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Read more about Dr. Mary Elizabeth Guinan.
For more information about sexually transmitted diseases, visit MedlinePlus.
Connie Myers Guion, MD — internal medicine
Courtesy National Library of Medicine, Images from the History of Medicine, B010549
Dr. Connie Myers Guion (1882–1971) helped revolutionize outpatient care for the poor in New York City and was instrumental in the development of a new curriculum for training clinicians at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.
Read more about Dr. Connie Myers Guion.
Margaret Hamburg, MD — internal medicine, research (pharmacology), public health
Courtesy Margaret Hamburg, MD
Dr. Margaret Hamburg (b. 1955), one of the youngest people ever elected to the Institute of Medicine (an affiliate of the National Academy of Sciences), is a highly regarded expert in community health and bio-defense, including preparedness for nuclear, biological, and chemical threats. As health commissioner for New York City from 1991 to 1997, she developed innovative programs for controlling the spread of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Read more about Dr. Margaret Hamburg.
For more information about biodefense and bioterrorism, visit MedlinePlus.
Margaret Irving Handy, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Special Collections, Vassar College Libraries
Dr. Margaret Irving Handy (1889–1977) was the first native-born Delawarean woman to become a physician, and the state’s first practicing pediatrician. While chief of pediatrics at the Delaware Hospital, Dr. Handy worked to improve care for premature babies and helped establish the Mother’s Milk Bank, which fed local children for 40 years. She received numerous accolades during a 52-year career devoted to improving children’s health, and is remembered as one of Delaware’s most respected and beloved physicians.
Read more about Dr. Margaret Irving Handy.
For more information about premature babies, visit MedlinePlus.
Harriet Louise Hardy, MD — public health
Courtesy Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University
In 1946, Dr. Harriet L. Hardy (1906–1993), physician and industrial toxicologist, identified beryllium as the cause of a chronic respiratory disease. In 1952, she established the National Beryllium Registry, one of the first registries to collect long-term data on a chronic health disorder. She worked with the Atomic Energy Commission, the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union, United Mine Workers, and Coal Workers’ Safety Board. Committed to social reform, she hoped science would solve workplace hazards and improve the well being of workers.
Read more about Dr. Harriet Louise Hardy.
For more information about occupational health visit MedlinePlus.
Réjane M. Harvey, MD — internal medicine (cardiology)
Courtesy The Association of the Alumni of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Dr. Réjane Harvey (1917-2005) built her academic career in the Department of Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. As a distinguished cardiologist, she held numerous appointments at the forefront of her field, and in 2002, she received the highest award given by the College of Physicians and Surgeons for her contributions to the university and the medical profession.
Read more about Dr. Réjane M. Harvey.
Florence Pat Haseltine, MD — public health (government), obstetrics and gynecology (reproductive endocrinology)
Courtesy Florence Pat Haseltine, MD, PhD
Dr. Florence Haseltine (b. 1942), biophysicist, reproductive endocrinologist, journal editor, novelist, inventor, and advocate for women’s health, overcame severe dyslexia to build a rich and diverse career in medicine.
Read more about Dr. Florence Pat Haseltine.
For more information about women’s health, visit MedlinePlus.
Elizabeth Dexter Hay, MD — research
Courtesy Elizabeth Dexter Hay, MD
In 2002, to mark Dr. Elizabeth Dexter Hay’s (1927–2007) 75th birthday, scientists and doctors from around the United States gathered at Harvard University for a daylong symposium on cell biology. For more than 40 years, Dr. Hay led the way in understanding the cell and its behaviors. From her earliest research on limb regeneration in newts to studies on how embryonic cells send and receive messages, the story of Dr. Elizabeth Hay’s contributions to cell biology is part of the story of the field itself.
Read more about Dr. Elizabeth Dexter Hay.
For more information about stem cells, visit MedlinePlus.
Maxine Hayes, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Dr. Maxine Hayes, MD, MPH
Dr. Maxine Hayes has dedicated her life to teaching and public service, focusing her efforts on disease prevention. “We could save time and work more efficiently in health care if we put more focus on actually preventing diseases, rather than only treating them.” She has received numerous awards for her accomplishments, including the prestigious public health award from American Medical Association, the 2002 Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service.
Read more about Dr. Maxine Hayes.
Margaret Caroline Heagarty, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Margaret Caroline Heagarty, MD
For 22 years, Dr. Margaret Heagerty (b. 1934) served as director of pediatrics at Harlem Hospital Center, where she dramatically improved the survival and quality of life of the children of Harlem.
Read more about Dr. Margaret Caroline Heagarty.
For more information about children's health, visit MedlinePlus.
Bernadine Healy, MD — internal medicine (cardiology), administration (medical school deans), public health (government)
Courtesy Bernadine Healy, MD
Cardiologist Dr. Bernadine Healy (1944–2011) was a physician, educator, and health administrator who was the first woman to head the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Known for her outspoken, innovative policymaking, Dr. Healy was particularly effective in addressing medical policy and research pertaining to women.
Read more about Dr. Bernadine Healy.
For more information about women’s health, visit MedlinePlus.
Lillian Heath Nelson, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Catharine Gail Kincaid, MD
Dr. Lillian Heath (1865–1962) was the first woman doctor in Wyoming, at a time when making house calls at night was a dangerous business. She was a fearless character and apparently, kept a piece of the skull from the autopsy of outlaw “Big Nose George” as a souvenir.
Read more about Dr. Lillian Heath Nelson.
Karen Hein, MD — pediatric medicine (adolescent)
Courtesy Karen Hein, MD
Dr. Karen Hein (b. 1944), a founding member of the Dartmouth Medical School Board of Overseers from 1973 to 1978, also established the world’s first adolescent HIV/AIDS education program in 1987. To do so, she worked closely with New York City’s Board of Education to expand HIV/AIDS education to approximately 1 million students in the city’s public school system.
Read more about Dr. Karen Hein.
For more information about HIV/AIDS, visit MedlinePlus.
Patricia Nez Henderson, MD — general medicine (community)
Courtesy Patricia Nez-Henderson, MPH, MD
Dr. Patricia Nez Henderson’s (b. 1965) grandfather was a Navajo medicine man, and many patients would travel long distances to see him. Dr. Nez Henderson is carrying on the family tradition by working to improve the health of wider communities as well as individual patients, as a public health physician specializing in the health care of American Indians.
Read more about Dr. Patricia Nez Henderson.
For more information about American Indian Health, visit MedlinePlus.
Jane Ellen Henney, MD — public health (government), internal medicine (oncology)
Courtesy Jane Ellen Henney, MD
Dr. Jane Ellen Henney (b. 1947) was the first woman to be appointed as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a position she held from 1998 to 2001. For 20 years, she served in senior health policy leadership positions in the public sector and earned the reputation of being a fair, firm, and forthright leader who builds strong and responsive organizations.
Read more about Dr. Jane Ellen Henney.
Maria Isabel Herran, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Maria Isabel Herran, MD
Dr. Maria Isabel Herran (b. 1953) has devoted herself to international health, refugee children, and the development and regulation of international adoption. Like much of the work needed to protect vulnerable populations in the developing world, needs far exceed the funding available. Dr. Herran also volunteered full-time to work with non-profit agencies, motivated by her own experiences as a refugee and inspired by the efforts of her mentors to help children around the world.
Read more about Dr. Maria Isabel Herran.
For more information about adoption, visit MedlinePlus.
Jane E. Hodgson, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Jane E. Hodgson, MD, MS, photograph by William Minarich Photography, Inc.
Dr. Jane Hodgson (1915–2006) was a pioneer in the abortion rights movement, challenging the legal system and improving the availability of gynecologic and reproductive care to all women through free-standing clinics. Through her clinical work in Minnesota, and traveling in Africa and the Middle East, she became acutely aware of how women suffered from illegal abortions and poorly managed medical care. As a result, Dr. Hodgson devoted her life to the protection of reproductive choices for women.
Read more about Dr. Jane E. Hodgson.
For more information about abortion, visit MedlinePlus.
Jimmie C. Holland, MD — psychiatry
Courtesy Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Dr. Jimmie C. Holland’s (1928–2017) work in psychiatry has been central to the establishment of psycho-oncology as a subspecialty. She conducted some of the first epidemiologic studies of the psychological impact of cancer on individuals and their families and its affect on survival. When she began her work in the 1960s, there was a philosophy that if a patient survived cancer, they should be happy to be alive and simply not worry about it. Thanks to the work of Holland and other proponents of psycho-oncology, cancer diagnosis and therapy are now better understood and more sensitively treated.
Read more about Dr. Jimmie C. Holland.
For more information about living with cancer, visit MedlinePlus.
Mary Ann Hopkins, MD — surgery, education (teaching)
Courtesy Mary Ann Hopkins, MA, MD
Dr. Mary Ann Hopkins (b. 1963) brings diverse interests in the arts and the sciences to her career in medicine. In her dual roles as assistant professor of surgery at New York University and attending surgeon at Bellevue Hospital Center-New York University Medical Center, she tries to instill in medical students and residents what it means to be a caring and compassionate physician.
Read more about Dr. Mary Ann Hopkins.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Minnie Frances Hayden Howard, MD — general medicine
Courtesy Idaho State Historical Society, photograph number 68-105.8
Dr. Minnie Howard (1872–1965), one of very few women physicians practicing in the American West in the early 20th century, became known as one of Idaho’s most energetic and influential women. In 1907, she and her husband helped establish Pocatello General Hospital there.
Read more about Dr. Minnie Frances Hayden Howard.
Susan Emma Hertz Howard, MD — general medicine
Courtesy Mary Lake Polan, MD, PhD, MPH
Dr. Susan Emma Hertz Howard (1869–1956) broke off her engagement to have her own career. After graduating at the turn of the century, she became the first woman physician in Burlington, Vermont.
Read more about Dr. Susan Emma Hertz Howard.
Mary Catherine Raugust Howell, MD — administration, pediatric medicine, education (teaching)
Courtesy Yeou-Cheng Ma, MD, photograph by Marlene Drescher
Dr. Mary Catherine Raugust Howell (1932–1998), a founder of the National Women’s Health Network, spent her career working to help women gain wider acceptance in medical schools and better access to equal medical treatment.
Read more about Dr. Mary Catherine Raugust Howell.
For more information about women’s health, visit MedlinePlus.
Christie Ann Huddleston, MD — psychiatry, education (teaching)
Courtesy Christie Ann Huddleston, MD
Dr. Christie Huddleston (b. 1952) is a psychiatrist and historian who has combined her scientific career with the study of the history of women in medicine. She is co-founder and past president of the Foundation for the History of Women in Medicine.
Read more about Dr. Christie Ann Huddleston.
Gertrude Teixeira Hunter, MD — public health (government), pediatric medicine, administration (government), education (teaching)
Courtesy Gertrude Teixeira Hunter, MD
As national director of health services for Project Head Start in 1965, Dr. Gertrude Hunter (1926–2006) helped implement the first national comprehensive health program to immunize, offer preventive medical and dental care, and treat any hidden health conditions in preschool children.
Read more about Dr. Gertrude Teixeira Hunter.
For more information about childhood immunization, visit MedlinePlus.
Kate Campbell Hurd-Mead, MD — public health, obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine
Dr. Kate Campbell Hurd-Mead (1867-1941) was a health care pioneer and an advocate for women in the medical profession. In 1891, she helped establish the Evening Dispensary for Working Women and Girls in Baltimore, Maryland, the first medical institution to employ women physicians in Baltimore. She was an avid promoter of the new maternal hygiene and infant welfare models, and a devoted supporter of women physicians. She also documented and wrote about the history of women in medicine.
Read more about Dr. Kate Campbell Hurd-Mead.
Lisa I. Iezzoni, MD — research (health systems), education (teaching)
Courtesy Lisa I. Iezzoni, MD, MSc
With her book Risk Adjustment for Measuring Health Care Outcomes, Dr. Lisa Iezzoni (b. 1954) is recognized as a leading authority on measuring the severity of illness. She was the first woman to be promoted to professor of medicine in the Department of Medicine at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and has based her career on answering the big questions in medicine today—questions of equality, efficiency, and ethics.
Read more about Dr. Lisa I. Iezzoni.
For more information on medical ethics, visit MedlinePlus.
Georgiana Mary Jagiello, MD — obstetrics and gynecology (reproductive endocrinology), research
Courtesy Georgiana Mary Jagiello, MD
As a reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Georgiana M. Jagiello (1927–2015) devoted her career to investigating the causes of Down syndrome and understanding the changes that take place in human egg cells as a woman matures. She perfected a technique for harvesting eggs that is now used in in vitro fertilization procedures worldwide, and was part of the team responsible for the first IVF birth in New York City.
Read more about Dr. Georgiana Mary Jagiello.
For more information about Down syndrome, visit MedlinePlus.
Grace Marilynn James, MD — public health, pediatric medicine
Courtesy David M. James
Dr. Grace Marilynn James (1923–1989) spent her life caring for the African American community of Louisville, Kentucky, who often had little access to regular health care. As one of the first two African American women on the faculty at a southern medical school, and the first African American woman on the staff of Louisville Children’s Hospital and on the faculty at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, she was also a role model and advocate for African Americans considering a career in medicine.
Read more about Dr. Grace Marilynn James.
For more information about African American health, visit MedlinePlus.
Lissy Feingold Jarvik, MD — research, psychiatry
Courtesy Lissy Feingold Jarvik, PhD, MD
As a pioneer in the field of neuropsychogeriatrics, Dr. Lissy Feingold Jarvik (b. 1924) was one of the first physicians to demonstrate that mental decline was not a part of the normal aging process. Her studies have focused on the mental changes that occur in both healthy and physically impaired people as they age. She also established the first inpatient psychogeriatric unit at the University of California, Los Angeles, and established the first such unit within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Read more about Dr. Lissy Feingold Jarvik.
For more information about seniors' health, visit MedlinePlus.
Nancy E. Jasso, MD — internal medicine (dermatology)
Courtesy Nancy E. Jasso, MD, MPH
Committed to helping people change their lives, Dr. Nancy Jasso (b. 1960) volunteers every Saturday at a laser tattoo-removal project she helped found. While giving up her spare time is difficult, she is willing to do so because it gives hope to others. “I have a lot of respect for the patients in the Tattoo Clinic. These are patients who are really trying to change their lives, and change is hard. And yet they’ve been courageous enough to actually try to put their life on a different track. So I figure anything that I can do to be helpful to them, I’m very willing to do.”
Read more about Dr. Nancy E. Jasso.
For more information about tattoos, visit MedlinePlus.
Mae C. Jemison, MD — general medicine
Courtesy NASA
Scientist, chemical engineer, physician, teacher, and astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison (b. 1956) has been a strong advocate for science and technology. She has applied her medical experience to the service of her country, first as a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone and Liberia, and then as space shuttle astronaut. Dr. Jemison actively inspires and encourages young people to pursue careers in science and medicine, and she has worked to advocate gender, ethnic, and social diversity in the sciences.
Read more about Dr. Mae C. Jemison.
Renee Rosalind Jenkins, MD — pediatric medicine (adolescent)
Courtesy Renee Rosalind Jenkins, MD
Dr. Renee Rosalind Jenkins (b. 1947) earned her undergraduate and medical degrees at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. There, as an African American woman in a predominantly white school, she encountered subtle messages of prejudice and low expectations for minority students. She remained undeterred, however, and maintained a positive and proactive philosophy. Dr. Jenkins went on to become chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Child Care at the Howard University College of Medicine, and the first African American president of the Society of Adolescent Medicine.
Read more about Dr. Renee Rosalind Jenkins.
For more information about children's health, visit MedlinePlus.
Ann Connor Jobe, MD — administration (medical school deans), general medicine (family)
Courtesy Ann Connor Jobe, MSN, MD
Dr. Ann Connor Jobe (b. 1946) has always been fascinated with the science of medicine. After a career in nursing, she trained as a physician and in 2001, was named dean of Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Georgia, when only eight women served as deans in U.S. medical schools.
Read more about Dr. Ann Connor Jobe.
Carol Johnson Johns, MD — education (teaching), internal medicine (pulmonology)
Courtesy Courtesy of Wellesley College Archives
Dr. Carol J. Johns (1923–2000) was a world-renowned expert on lung disease. For nearly 50 years, she was a dedicated researcher, educator, and advocate for women’s careers in medicine. She became an international authority on tuberculosis and sarcoidosis, a chronic disease that develops lesions in the lungs, lymph nodes, bones, skin, and other tissues throughout the body. She was the first woman member of the American Clinical and Climatological Association in its 105-year history, and in 1994, became its first woman president.
Read more about Dr. Carol Johnson Johns.
For more information about sarcoidosis, visit MedlinePlus.
Halle Tanner Dillon Johnson, MD — general medicine
Courtesy Photographs and Prints Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations
In 1891, it was rare for any woman to become a board-certified physician, but when Halle Tanner Dillon (1864–1901) passed the Alabama State Medical Examination, even the New York Times took notice. While some southern newspapers had scoffed at the idea of a black woman even applying to take the exam, the Times noted that Johnson passed this “unusually severe” 10-day written exam to become “not only the first colored female physician, but the first woman of any race” to officially practice medicine in Alabama.
Read more about Dr. Halle Tanner Dillon Johnson.
Paula A. Johnson, MD — education (teaching), internal medicine (cardiology)
Courtesy Photograph by Sue Owrutsky
Dr. Paula Johnson (b. 1959) is a women’s health specialist and a pioneer in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease. She conceived of and developed one of the first facilities in the country to focus on heart disease in women.
Read more about Dr. Paula A. Johnson.
For more information about cardiovascular disease, visit MedlinePlus.
Olga Jonasson, MD — education (teaching), surgery
Courtesy Olga Jonasson, MD, photograph by Stuart-Rogers, Ltd.
In some medical specialties, the glass ceiling preventing women from rising to the top leadership positions has been especially tough to break through. Surgery has been one of the least welcoming specialties for women physicians. In 1987, Dr. Olga Jonasson (1934–2006) was named chair of the department of surgery at Ohio State University College of Medicine, becoming the first woman in the United States to head an academic surgery department at a coeducational school of medicine. Dr. Jonasson was a pioneer in the field of clinical transplantation and histocompatibility.
Read more about Dr. Olga Jonasson.
For more information about organ transplantation, visit MedlinePlus.
Georgeanna Seegar Jones, MD — obstetrics and gynecology (reproductive endocrinology)
Courtesy Courtesy of the New York Academy of Medicine Library, copy by RD Rubic
Dr. Georgeanna Seegar Jones (1912–2005) spent a lifetime breaking through the “glass ceiling” of medical research, and making a mark in reproductive medicine and endocrinology. While still a medical student at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Jones completed her groundbreaking research, which showed that the pregnancy hormone (now called chorionic gonadotropin) arose from the placenta rather than from the pituitary, as was previously believed.
Read more about Dr. Georgeanna Seegar Jones.
Harriet B. Jones, MD — surgery, obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Dr. Charles Felton
Dr. Harriet Jones (1856–1943) was the first woman to be licensed as a physician in West Virginia and the first woman to be elected to its House of Delegates.
Read more about Dr. Harriet B. Jones.
Julia M. Jones, MD — internal medicine (pulmonology)
Courtesy Howard W. Jones, Jr, MD
Dr. Julia M. Jones (1908–1973) was a leader in the field of public health, specializing in the treatment of tuberculosis from the mid-1930s until her death in 1973. She was head of the pulmonary disease section at New York’s Harlem Hospital and a professor of clinical medicine at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, treating some of the poorest people in the city who were particularly vulnerable to the disease.
Read more about Dr. Julia M. Jones.
For more information about tuberculosis, visit MedlinePlus.
Mary Amanda Dixon Jones, MD — obstetrics and gynecology, surgery
Courtesy Touro Infirmary Archives
Dr. Mary Dixon Jones (1828–1908) became a world-renowned surgeon for her treatment of diseases of the female reproductive system, in a time when few women physicians were able to build a career in the specialty. She is credited as the first person in America to propose and perform a full hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) for the treatment of uterine myoma (a tumor of muscle tissue). She trained with Mary Putnam Jacobi in New York and is considered one of the leading women scientists of the late nineteenth century.
Read more about Dr. Mary Amanda Dixon Jones.
For more information about hysterectomy, visit MedlinePlus.
Susan Veronica Karol, MD — surgery
Courtesy Susan Veronica Karol, MD
Dr. Susan Karol (b. 1957) is the first woman of the Tuscarora Indian Nation of Sanborn to become a surgeon, and the first woman to become chief of surgery at Beverly Hospital in Beverly, Massachusetts. She considers her career in medicine a lifelong learning experience and strives to bring compassion as well as skill to her surgical practice.
Read more about Dr. Susan Veronica Karol.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Judith Salmon Kaur, MD — education (teaching), internal medicine (oncology)
Courtesy Judith Salmon Kaur, MA, MD
Dr. Judith S. Kaur (b. 1945) has devoted her career to the improvement of survival rates for American Indians with cancer. Although she had planned to return to the reservation after medical school to practice medicine, she has instead devoted her career to scientific research. Fascinated with the study of cancer, she now makes her contribution to the health of American Indian populations at the forefront of medical science.
Read more about Dr. Judith Salmon Kaur.
For more information about American Indian health, visit MedlinePlus.
Frances Kathleen Oldham Kelsey, MD — research (pharmacology)
Courtesy Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, New York World Telegram & Sun Collection
In 1960, during her first month at the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Frances Oldham Kelsey (1914–2015) took a bold stance against inadequate testing and corporate pressure when she refused to approve release of thalidomide in the United States. The drug had been used as a sleeping pill and was later proven to have caused thousands of birth defects in Germany and Great Britain.
Read more about Dr. Frances Kathleen Oldham Kelsey.
For more information about birth defects, visit MedlinePlus.
Mary Margaret Kemeny, MD — surgery (thoracic), education (teaching), surgery (oncology)
Courtesy Mary Margaret Kemeny, MD
Surgical oncologist Dr. Mary Margaret Kemeny (b. 1946) is director of New York’s Queens Cancer Center at Queens Hospital and professor of surgery at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. Through her clinical and laboratory research, Dr. Kemeny has developed techniques to deliver chemotherapy to the liver through an arterial pump. Her research has also focused on treating of colon cancer with perioperative chemotherapy and on including the elderly in clinical trials.
Read more about Dr. Mary Margaret Kemeny.
For more information about chemotherapy, visit MedlinePlus.
Catharine Gail Kincaid, MD — psychiatry
Courtesy Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History, Behring Center
After serving as medical director for the state of New Mexico for four years, Dr. Catharine Gail Kincaid (1939–2013) founded Delphi Unlimited, LLC in 1994, to help employers deliver quality health care services to their employees. She served as the firm’s president and chief executive officer. Under her direction, Delphi designed and implemented managed-care programs for academic medical centers including the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, and Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Read more about Dr. Catharine Gail Kincaid.
Mary Elizabeth Dickason King, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology), diagnostic and therapeutic services (anatomic pathology)
Courtesy Mary Elizabeth Dickason King, MD
“Sometimes, choosing a particular career path comes down to something as simple as someone saying: ‘Here, I’ve got this job for you.’ And you do that job and you realize you enjoy it,” said Dr. Mary Elizabeth Dickason King (b. 1926) to explain how she became a pathologist. To keep up with her husband’s medical career, she moved eight times in 40 years. Yet through it all, she managed to balance her pathology practice, teaching, and raising three children.
Read more about Dr. Mary Elizabeth Dickason King.
Ruth L. Kirschstein, MD — administration (government), diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy Ruth L. Kirschstein, MD
As director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences from 1974 to 1993, Dr. Ruth Kirschstein (1926–2009) was the first woman institute director at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Throughout her career, she worked as an administrator, fundraiser, and scientific researcher, investigating possible public health responses in the midst of crisis and conservatism.
Read more about Dr. Ruth L. Kirschstein.
Perri Klass, MD — pediatric medicine (infectious disease)
Courtesy Reach Out and Read National Center
As a pediatrician, writer, wife, and mother—Dr. Perri Klass (b. 1958) has demonstrated how medicine is integral to the health of families and communities, and how doctors themselves struggle to balance the conflicting needs of profession, self, and family. With her love of literature and her involvement with literacy, Dr. Klass is acutely aware of the importance of reading to personal and professional success. As medical director of Reach Out and Read, a national program which makes books and advice about reading to young children part of every well-child visit, she encourages other pediatricians to foster pre-reading skills in their young patients.
Read more about Dr. Perri Klass.
Irena Grasberg Koprowska, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (cytopathology), diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy Irena Grasberg Koprowska, MD
Dr. Irena Grasberg Koprowska (1917–2012) began her medical career after fleeing her native Poland and the invading German army in 1939. As a young physician who worked in a pathology lab with little supervision and virtually no textbooks, she became a pioneer in the field of cytopathology. Dr. Irena Koprowska co-authored, with Dr. George Papanicolaou, a case report of the earliest diagnosis of lung cancer by a sputum smear. She became the first female full professor at Philadelphia’s Hahnemann University in 1964.
Read more about Dr. Irena Grasberg Koprowska.
For more information about lung cancer, visit MedlinePlus.
Lila Stein Kroser, MD — general medicine (family)
Courtesy Lila Stein Kroser, MD
Dr. Lila Stein Kroser (1932–2005) was a solo-practice local family doctor in northeastern Philadelphia, and a leader in national and international medicine. She was one of few physicians to have held local, state, national, and international presidencies in organized medicine. Dr. Kroser was past president of both the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA), a nongovernmental branch of the United Nations, and the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA).
Read more about Dr. Lila Stein Kroser.
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, MD — psychiatry
Courtesy Copyright Ken Ross Photography
Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926–2004), a Swiss-born American psychiatrist, pioneered the concept of providing psychological counseling to the dying. In her first book, On Death and Dying (published in 1969), she described five stages she believed were experienced by those nearing death—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. She also suggested that death be considered a normal stage of life, and offered strategies for treating patients and their families as they negotiate these stages. The topic of death had been avoided by many physicians and the book quickly became a standard text for professionals who work with terminally ill patients. Hospice care has subsequently been established as an alternative to hospital care for the terminally ill, and there has been more emphasis on counseling for families of dying patients.
Read more about Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.
For more information on end of life issues, visit MedlinePlus.
Elise Depew Strang L’Esperance, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology), research (oncology), internal medicine (preventative)
Courtesy New York Weill Cornell Medical Center Archives
Dr. Elise Depew Strang L’Esperance (1878–1958) was a pioneer in establishing a preventive model of cancer treatment. She co-founded some of the first clinics devoted to the early detection and treatment of cancers, especially cervical cancer, including one clinic named for her mother, the Kate Depew Strang Tumor Clinic (now called the Strang Cancer Prevention Center).
Read more about Dr. Elise Depew Strang L’Esperance.
For more information about cancer, visit MedlinePlus.
Yvette Laclaustra, MD — surgery
Courtesy Yvette Laclaustra, MD , photograph copyright Oscar and Associates, Inc.
“I am trying to find balance in my life as a trauma surgeon, breast surgeon, wife, and mother of three children. Ultimately, the many roles as a woman enhance my abilities to be a better surgeon.” Dr. Yvette Laclaustra (b. 1955) has forged a dedicated and committed path in her career. “There is nothing more honorable and spiritually rewarding than being a physician,” she says. Although juggling so many responsibilities is never easy, Dr. Laclaustra believes it is well worth the effort.
Read more about Dr. Yvette Laclaustra.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Joyce Cohen Lashof, MD — general medicine (community), internal medicine (preventative)
Courtesy Joyce Cohen Lashof, MD, photograph by Jane Scherr
Dr. Joyce Cohen Lashof (1926-2022) became the first woman to be appointed director of any state department of public health when she was appointed director of the Illinois Department of Public Health in 1973. She was instrumental in the development of community health centers and a leader in both the American Public Health Association and the Association of Schools of Public Health.
Read more about Dr. Joyce Cohen Lashof.
Roz Diane Lasker, MD — internal medicine (endocrinology)
Courtesy Roz Diane Lasker, MD, photograph by Miller Photography
Dr. Roz D. Lasker (b. 1949) is founding director of the Center for the Advancement of Collaborative Strategies in Health at The New York Academy of Medicine. The Center’s research is focused on ways to improve medical care delivery, public health practice, health policy development, and the effectiveness of community partnerships.
Read more about Dr. Roz Diane Lasker.
Agnes D. Lattimer, MD — pediatric medicine, education (teaching), administration (hospital directors)
Courtesy Agnes D. Lattimer, MD
As a young woman planning a career in medicine in the 1940s, Dr. Agnes D. Lattimer (1928–2018) faced the triple obstacles of poverty, sexism, and racism, yet she refused to be discouraged. As she said, “No obstacles could deter me from my purpose. Not the negative attitudes of others, not lack of money, nor lack of encouragement from outside my family; nothing could dissuade me from my goal”.
Read more about Dr. Agnes D. Lattimer.
Risa J. Lavizzo-Mourey, MD — administration, internal medicine (geriatrics)
Courtesy Risa J. Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA, photograph by Bob Clink
Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey’s (b. 1954) career combines geriatric medicine and health policy, focusing on disease, disability prevention, and health care issues among minorities. As president and chief executive officer of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation from 2003 to 2017, she was the first woman and first African American to hold that post. Earning a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business in 1986, she combines business management skills with hands-on doctoring.
Read more about Dr. Risa J. Lavizzo-Mourey.
For more information about seniors' health, visit MedlinePlus.
Margaret Morgan Lawrence, MD — pediatric medicine, psychiatry (child and adolescent)
Courtesy Margaret Morgan Lawrence, MD, MPH
In 1932, Margaret Morgan Lawrence (b. 1914) became the only African American student at Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences. Challenging the racism and sexism that she faced as she launched her career in medicine, Dr. Lawrence has gone on to have a distinguished career of breakthroughs and successes. She was the first practicing child psychiatrist in Rockland County and co-founded the Rockland County Center for Mental Health in New York, and in 1975, she was named the first recipient of the county’s J. R. Bernstein Mental Health Award.
Read more about Dr. Margaret Morgan Lawrence.
For more information on child mental health, visit MedlinePlus.
Elizabeth Theresa Lee-Rey, MD — education (teaching), general medicine (family)
Courtesy Elizabeth Theresa Lee-Ray, MD
Dr. Elizabeth Lee-Rey (b. 1960) feels that one of her greatest accomplishments is that “I was able to become a mother and nurse my children while working successfully as a physician. I advocate the benefits of nursing to my new moms, yet my greatest challenges against doing so were [from] peers and colleagues.” In 2002, she was named co-director of New York’s Hispanic Center of Excellence at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She also has worked to establish a self-sustaining peer-run network aimed at the Hispanic adolescent male, to promote health and prevent disease with community-based support.
Read more about Dr. Elizabeth Theresa Lee-Rey.
For more information about breastfeeding, visit MedlinePlus.
Marianne J. Legato, MD — education (teaching), internal medicine (cardiology)
Courtesy Marianne J. Legato, MD
Dr. Marianne J. Legato (b. 1935) is an internationally recognized specialist in women’s health and the founder and director of the Partnership for Gender-Specific Medicine at Columbia University. She has devoted much of her research to the subject of women and heart disease and in 1992, won the American Heart Association’s Blakeslee Award for a book she wrote for the public on women and heart disease. She is the founder and editor of The Journal of Gender-Specific Medicine and a leading advocate for the inclusion of women in clinical trials.
Read more about Dr. Marianne J. Legato.
For more information about heart disease in women, visit MedlinePlus.
Delores Maria Leon, MD — internal medicine
Courtesy Delores Maria Leon, MD
Dr. Dolores Maria Leon (b. 1947) was the first woman to serve as flight surgeon in the U.S. Army. In 1975, she received the “International Woman of the Year—Korea” award. According to her nomination for that title, Captain Leon “represents the highest order of achievement in today’s United States Army... During the difficult training to become a flight surgeon, Captain Leon distinguished herself both by her ability and her enthusiasm.”
Read more about Dr. Delores Maria Leon.
Edithe J. Levit, MD — education (teaching)
Courtesy Edithe J. Levit, MD
In 1986, The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) bestowed their Special Recognition Award on Dr. Edithe J. Levit (1926–2006), the first woman president and CEO of a national medical association, the National Board of Medical Examiners. Dr. Levit introduced new technologies and strategies for the examination of medical students, spearheading change to improve standards. Carefully managing the needs of both medical schools and examiners, she promoted dynamic changes that included the introduction of audiovisual tools, computer-based exams, and the first self-assessment test of the American College of Physicians.
Read more about Dr. Edithe J. Levit.
Edith M. Lincoln, MD — pediatric medicine (pulmonology)
Courtesy Ehrman Medical Library-Archives, New York University School of Medicine
Dr. Edith M. Lincoln (1899–1971), a pediatrician who pioneered the use of drugs for treating tuberculosis in children, was head of the children’s “chest clinic” at Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan from 1922 until her retirement in 1956.
Read more about Dr. Edith M. Lincoln.
For more information about tuberculosis, visit MedlinePlus.
Iris F. Litt, MD — education (teaching), pediatric medicine (adolescent)
Courtesy Iris F. Litt, MD
Through her work on young women’s health issues, Dr. Iris Litt (b. 1940) has helped to revolutionize the care of women in prisons and juvenile detention centers. Her research has focused on health problems of adolescents, including substance abuse, prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, and the long-term consequences of eating disorders in adolescent women.
Read more about Dr. Iris F. Litt.
For more information about eating disorders, visit MedlinePlus.
Hannah E. Myers Longshore, MD — general medicine
Courtesy National Library of Medicine, Images from the History of Medicine, B017284
Dr. Hannah E. Myers Longshore (1819–1901) was one of the first women to be admitted to the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania and one of the first women faculty members at an American medical school. She gave public lectures on sexual health at a time when there was little public discussion of any kind on the subject, and became Philadelphia’s first woman physician in private practice, a role she maintained for forty years in spite of vocal, near-violent opposition.
Read more about Dr. Hannah E. Myers Longshore.
For more information about sexual health, visit MedlinePlus.
Susan M. Love, MD — surgery (oncology)
Courtesy Susan Love, MD, MBA
Dr. Susan Love (b. 1948) has said that changing the world is simply “a matter of trying.” She has attempted to do just that, bringing hope and new treatments to women with breast cancer. In addition to her scientific and popular books on breast cancer and menopause, she co-founded the National Breast Cancer Coalition to help breast cancer patients and their supporters campaign for action, advances, and change. She also holds several patents for methods and kits used in the diagnosis of breast cancer.
Read more about Dr. Susan M. Love.
For more information about breast cancer, visit MedlinePlus.
Esther Clayson Pohl Lovejoy, MD — public health, obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, photograph by Underwood & Underwood
In her lifetime, Dr. Esther Clayson Pohl Lovejoy (1869–1967) transformed the Portland Board of Health in Oregon by regulating the milk supply, providing funds for school nurses, and gaining Portland a national reputation for its high standards of sanitation. She also helped to establish the Medical Women’s International Association and the American Women’s Hospitals which, under her leadership, grew from an emergency committee for war-relief into an international service organization operating in 30 countries.
Read more about Dr. Esther Clayson Pohl Lovejoy.
Theresa Loya, MD — internal medicine, education (teaching), diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy Theresa Loya, MPH, MD
Dr. Theresa Loya (b. 1943) was the first in her family to attend college. Today, with board certifications both in anatomic and clinical pathology and in internal medicine, she seeks to help the poor and underserved with cancer prevention strategies as well as early detection and intervention for those who already have the disease. Dr. Loya served in the Peace Corps in North Africa before assuming positions as assistant professor of pathology at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and assistant clinical professor of pathology at the University of California, Los Angeles. As an undergraduate at the University of California at Berkeley, she helped establish La Clínica de la Raza in East Oakland, and she spent more than twenty years working to improve the health status of farm workers in Guatemala.
Read more about Dr. Theresa Loya.
For more information about cancer, visit MedlinePlus.
Amneris E. Luque, MD — education (teaching), internal medicine
Courtesy Amneris E. Luque, MD
Dr. Amneris Luque (b. 1953) hopes to make a difference for her Hispanic patients by advocating legislation that will give them better access to health care. In 2002, when she was given the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute Dr. Linda Lauberstein HIV Clinical Excellence Award, she was described as “an outstanding, compassionate HIV/AIDS practitioner... recognized among her colleagues as a consummate clinician and as a role model for setting standards of excellence in the provision of direct patient care.”
Read more about Dr. Amneris E. Luque.
For more information about HIV/AIDS, visit MedlinePlus.
D. Joanne Harley Lynn, MD — internal medicine (geriatrics)
Courtesy D. Joanne Harley Lynn, MD, MA, MS
Dr. Joanne Harley Lynn (b. 1951) leads Altarum Institute’s Center on Elder Care and Advanced Illness. Previously, she was director of The Washington Home Center for Palliative Care Studies in Washington, D.C. She was also a senior scientist for RAND, a nonprofit institution that seeks to improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis, and a clinical professor of medicine at The George Washington University, as well as president of Americans for Better Care of the Dying, a nonprofit public advocacy group that seeks to improve Medicare and Medicaid and other aspects of federal health policy.
Read more about Dr. D. Joanne Harley Lynn.
For more information about palliative care, visit MedlinePlus.
Catharine Macfarlane, MD (standing center) — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine
Dr. Catharine MacFarlane (1877–1969) helped to bring better care to women when she established one of the nation’s first uterine cancer screening programs and actively promoted cancer-screening for women. She was also the first woman fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and the first woman president of the Obstetrical Society of Philadelphia.
Read more about Dr. Catharine Macfarlane.
For more information about uterine cancer, visit MedlinePlus.
Sharon M. Malotte, MD — general medicine (family)
Courtesy Sharon M. Malotte, MD, photograph by d'Joyce Bismarck
Dr. Sharon Malotte (b. 1955) is a member of the TeMoak Band of Western Shoshones of the South Fork Indian Reservation. She is the first indigenous Nevadan to become a doctor and was named Miss Indian Nevada 1977. Malotte considers her heritage an integral part of her work, in building relationships with patients and acting as a mentor, devoting much of her time to public speaking. As a woman who has overcome significant difficulties to become a successful physician, she is a role model for students and her own daughters.
Read more about Dr. Sharon M. Malotte.
For more information about American Indian Health, visit MedlinePlus.
Audrey Forbes Manley, MD — public health (government)
Courtesy Parklawn Health Library
Dr. Audrey Forbes Manley (b. 1934) received a music scholarship to study at Spelman College in Atlanta. She took the opportunity to expand her education and interests, and moved into the sciences. She was appointed assistant surgeon general in 1988 and is the first African American woman to hold a position of that rank in the U.S. Public Health Service. In 1997, she returned to Spelman, after 40 years in medicine, to serve as president of the college.
Read more about Dr. Audrey Forbes Manley.
Joann Elisabeth Manson, MD — research (endocrinology), internal medicine
Courtesy JoAnn Elisabeth Manson, MD, MPH, DrPH
Dr. JoAnn Manson (b. 1953) has been a leading researcher in the two largest women’s health research projects ever launched in the United States—the first large scale study of women begun in 1976 as the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, and the National Institute of Health’s Women’s Health Initiative, which involved 164,000 healthy women. Until the early 1990s, research on human health was usually done from all-male subject groups, and the results generated were thought to apply to both sexes. Federal regulation now mandates the inclusion of women in all research studies, as men and women may react differently to certain diseases and drug remedies, a fact Dr. Manson’s research efforts have helped to establish.
Read more about Dr. Joann Elisabeth Manson.
For more information about women's health, visit MedlinePlus.
Shirley F. Marks, MD — education (teaching), psychiatry
Courtesy Shirley Faye Marks, MD, MPH
Dr. Shirley F. Marks (b. 1946) is nationally recognized for her efforts to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, and for advocating parity in mental health treatment and access. Between 1981 and 1990, she appeared weekly as a psychiatric consultant on Good Morning Houston, a talk show on KTRK television, discussing topics such as eating disorders, forensics, women’s health, and domestic violence.
Read more about Dr. Shirley F. Marks.
For more information about mental disorders, visit MedlinePlus.
Clara Marshall, MD — research (pharmacology), obstetrics and gynecology, administration (medical school deans), education (teaching), general medicine
Courtesy Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine
Dr. Clara Marshall (1847–1931) was the first woman appointed to the staff of the Blockley Medical College for Men (part of the Philadelphia Hospital at Blockely), and was among the first women to receive a staff appointment at a charitable or correctional institution. As dean from 1886 to 1917, she helped expand and modernize the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania and became a powerful role model for women entering medicine.
Read more about Dr. Clara Marshall.
Loy McAfee, MD — administration (government), surgery
Courtesy National Library of Medicine
Dr. Loy McAfee (1868–1941) served as a contract surgeon with the surgeon general’s office of the U.S. Army during World War I. She worked on a comprehensive, multivolume history of wartime medicine. At the time, although women physicians were barred from serving in the Army Medical Reserve Corps and, thus, denied benefits equal to those of men, they were still required to wear uniforms and conform to the same standards of conduct.
Read more about Dr. Loy McAfee.
Melvina L. McCabe, MD — general medicine (family), education (teaching), internal medicine (geriatrics)
Courtesy Melvina L. McCabe, MD
Melvina McCabe (b. 1951) brings a spiritual and cultural perspective to her care of the elderly. As director of geriatrics in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, she is an advocate for the underserved. “At times,” she says, “I think that perhaps there is a predestined path for us to take that is identified for us by the Creator.”
Read more about Dr. Melvina L. McCabe.
For more information about seniors’ health, visit MedlinePlus.
Anita Newcomb McGee, MD — general medicine
Courtesy National Library of Medicine, Images from the History of Medicine, B09272
In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee (1864–1940) was named acting assistant surgeon general of the U.S. Army, making her the only woman permitted to wear an officer’s uniform. She was instrumental in organizing the 1,600 nurses who served during the conflict and wrote the Army Reorganization Act of 1901, which established the Army Nurse Corps as a permanent unit.
Read more about Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee.
Anne Bishop McKusick, MD — internal medicine (rheumatology)
Courtesy Anne Bishop McKusick, MD
Dr. Anne McKusick (1922–2017) was part of a significant number of scientists involved in World War II era research on the atomic bomb, who abandoned physics to join the biomedical sciences. Bringing different approaches and a new perspective, many in this group have made significant contributions to medicine. McKusick made her mark in rheumatology and as a teacher, and found teaching clinical skills and medical ethics one of the most rewarding experiences of her career.
Read more about Dr. Anne Bishop McKusick.
For more information about joint disorders, visit MedlinePlus.
Laurie A. McLemore, MD — general medicine (family)
Courtesy Laurie A. McLemore, MA, MD
As a teenage mother, Dr. Laurie McLemore (b. 1955) was told she would not be able to become a physician. Despite the lack of encouragement she received from academic advisors and the challenges of raising a family whilst building a career, she went on to complete premedical training with honors and was offered a scholarship to attend medical school.
Read more about Dr. Laurie A. McLemore.
Barbara J. McNeil, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (radiology), pediatric medicine
Courtesy Barbara J. McNeil, MD, photograph by Bachrach
Dr. Barbara McNeil (b. 1941) founded the department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School and was the first person to be appointed head of the Department. As well as academic and clinical appointments in radiology, she has published a series of papers in the area of decision analysis and patients’ preferences, which are amongst the most cited studies in the field.
Read more about Dr. Barbara J. McNeil.
For more information about diagnostic imaging, visit MedlinePlus.
Martha Alicia Medrano, MD — education (teaching), psychiatry (child and adolescent)
Courtesy Martha Alicia Medrano, MD, MPH
Dr. Martha Medrano (b. 1954) is a pioneer in medical education who wants to be remembered for her efforts to make medical students more culturally competent. She describes herself as a “community psychiatrist“ and is involved in Redes En Acción (Networks in Action), a network that assembles organizations nationwide in a major initiative to foster cancer prevention, training, and research among Hispanic populations.
Read more about Dr. Martha Alicia Medrano.
For more information about cancer, visit MedlinePlus.
Dorothy Reed Mendenhall, MD — pediatric medicine, research (cellular pathology), public health
Courtesy Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College
Dr. Dorothy Reed Mendenhall (1874–1964) proved that Hodgkin’s lymphoma was not a form of tuberculosis and discovered the Reed-Sternberg cell, a diagnostic marker of the disease.
Read more about Dr. Dorothy Reed Mendenhall.
For more information about Hodgkin disease, visit MedlinePlus.
Flavia Elaine Mercado, MD — education (teaching), pediatric medicine
Courtesy Floria Ellen Mercado, MD
As a bilingual physician and educator, Dr. Flavia Mercado (b. 1962) teaches the value of cultural competency. More than sharing a language, cultural competency requires that physicians are aware of cultural differences and treat all patients respectfully, an ideal Mercado instills in every medical student she teaches.
Read more about Dr. Flavia Elaine Mercado.
Maria J. Merino, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (anatomic pathology)
Courtesy Maria J. Merino, MD
Dr. Maria J. Merino (b. 1950), head of the Translational Surgical Pathology Section of the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research, is internationally recognized for her work in anatomic pathology.
Read more about Dr. Maria J. Merino.
Doris Honig Merritt, MD — administration (medical school deans), pediatric medicine
Courtesy Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Dr. Doris Honig Merritt (b. 1923), the first woman to chair the Board of Regents for the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, helped establish the Library’s electronic information system in 1978. During her career in university administration, Dr. Merritt coined the term“grantsmanship” to describe the art of procuring grants, and herself brought millions of dollars in grants to the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.
Read more about Dr. Doris Honig Merritt.
Jean Baker Miller, MD — psychiatry
Courtesy Jean Baker Miller, MD
Dr. Jean Baker Miller (1927–2006) published Towards a New Psychology of Women in 1976, a groundbreaking work in the understanding of human relationships. In 1995, Wellesley College opened the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute with Dr. Miller as head of the Institute, where she put her approach into practice as a teacher, researcher, and clinician.
Read more about Dr. Jean Baker Miller.
Lillie Rosa Minoka-Hill, MD — public health, general medicine
Courtesy Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine
Dr. Lillie Rosa Minoka-Hill (1876–1952) earned her doctor of medicine degree at the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1899, making her the second American Indian woman in the United States to hold an MD degree (Susan La Flesche Picotte was the first). She used her professional status to help other American Indians, working at public clinics and dispensaries, and at a school for American Indian children in Philadelphia. She also served as primary caregiver for an Oneida Indian community in Wisconsin.
Read more about Dr. Lillie Rosa Minoka-Hill.
For more information about American Indian health, visit MedlinePlus.
Janet L. Mitchell, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Janet L. Mitchell, MD, MPH, photograph by Rocco Galatioto
As a young medical student at Howard University College of Medicine from 1972 to 1976, Dr. Janet Mitchell (b. 1950) saw patients from some of the poorest neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. Later, from 1976 to 1980, she served both her postgraduate internship and residency at New York’s Harlem Hospital Center. “Working at Harlem and doing almost all of my rotations in medical school at D.C. General Hospital, I said ‘there but by the grace of God—go I.’ I have ever since devoted myself to the underserved and the most disenfranchised.”
Read more about Dr. Janet L. Mitchell.
Kelly Roberta Moore, MD — public health (government), pediatric medicine
Courtesy Kelly Roberta Moore, MD, photograph copyright Burtchaeil Photography
Dr. Kelly R. Moore (b. 1955) has expanded her clinical practice to take on more community issues, in the hope that her contribution can improve the overall health of American Indian and Alaskan Native populations. She is a captain in the U.S. Public Health Service, and a pediatrician with the Indian Health Service.
Read more about Dr. Kelly Roberta Moore.
For more information about American Indian health, visit MedlinePlus.
Alma Dea Morani, MD — surgery (plastic)
Courtesy National Library of Medicine, Images from the History of Medicine, B019206
Dr. Alma Dea Morani (1907-2001) is best known as the first woman plastic surgeon in the United States. A keen artist as well as a talented surgeon, Dr. Morani’s work in the emerging specialty of plastic surgery truly unified the art and the science of medicine.
Read more about Dr. Alma Dea Morani.
For more information about plastic surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Kathryn Ann Morsea, MD — general medicine (family)
Courtesy Kathryn Ann Morsea, MD
With a special interest in the benefits of a traditional American Indian diet, family practitioner Dr. Kathryn A. Morsea (b. 1955) incorporates traditional healing practices into her patient care. In order to raise her daughter and practice medicine within a Navajo community, she is a practitioner of family medicine in Gallup, New Mexico.
Read more about Dr. Kathryn Ann Morsea.
For more information about American Indian health, visit MedlinePlus.
Rosalie Slaughter Morton, MD — public health, obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Rosalie S. Morton Papers, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library
Dr. Rosalie Slaughter Morton (1876–1968) was the first woman faculty member at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons and one of the first at New York Polyclinic Hospital and Post-Graduate Medical School. She lobbied for the equal recognition of male and female physicians in war service, and served in European field hospitals during World War I.
Read more about Dr. Rosalie Slaughter Morton.
Carol Cooperman Nadelson, MD — psychiatry
Courtesy Carol Cooperman Nadelson, MD, photograph by Bachrach
Dr. Carol Nadelson (b. 1936) was the first woman president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), first woman editor-in-chief of the APA Press, and first director of Partners Office for Women’s Careers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. As a Harvard Medical School psychiatrist and Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s expert on promoting academic medical careers for women, she has had a major influence on the lives of women in medicine—by advancing the cause of women’s mental health and by leading the office for the professional development, career planning, and mentoring of women on the hospital staff.
Read more about Dr. Carol Cooperman Nadelson.
For more information about women's health, visit MedlinePlus.
Maria Iandolo New, MD — pediatric medicine (endocrinology)
Courtesy Maria Iandolo New, MD
Over the past half century, Dr. Maria Iandolo New (b. 1928) has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s leading pediatric endocrinologists. Her studies of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)—a deficiency in the adrenal system that causes gender ambiguity in females and precocious sexual development in males—has led to treatments to correct the disorder before the baby is born. Her groundbreaking identification of a new form of hypertension, “apparent mineralcorticoid excess,” has resulted in a new area of receptor biology.
Read more about Dr. Maria Iandolo New.
For more information about adrenal gland disorders, visit MedlinePlus.
Kate Pelham Newcomb, MD — general medicine (family), obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Dr. Kate Museum
In 1922, Dr. Kate Pellham Newcomb (1886–1956) left her practice in Detroit to care for her husband and nurse him back to better health. Living in rural Wisconsin so he could benefit from the clean, country air, she gradually returned to medicine, working as one of only three doctors in the area. She traveled miles every day to reach patients isolated in the countryside. In 1949, Dr. Newcomb marshaled the community to raise funds for a hospital, to improve the medical care available to all residents.
Read more about Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb.
Mary Modelle Newman, MD — internal medicine
Courtesy Photograph by Maximilian Franz
Dr. Mary Modelle Newman (b. 1952) has been an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine since 1984 and was chosen for the Chairman’s Award for Teaching Excellence in 1997. As a member of the university’s Task Force on the Status of Women, she helped restructure schedules to help physicians balance a career in academic medicine with the responsibilities of family life.
Read more about Dr. Mary Modelle Newman.
Carol M. Newton, MD — internal medicine (oncology), education (medical informatics), education (teaching)
Courtesy Carol M. Newton, PhD, MD, photograph by Merritt T. Smith
In 1958, Dr. Carol Newton (1925–2014) developed Univac I, C-10 Code, the first computer program to calculate electron therapy treatment. Later, as chairman and professor of Biomathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles, Dr. Newton developed interactive graphics for scientific investigation and cellular-system modeling. A pioneer in the field of medical informatics for over four decades, Dr. Newton blended the arts of medicine, mathematics, and computer science.
Read more about Dr. Carol M. Newton.
Jennifer R. Niebyl, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Jennifer R. Niebyl, MD
Dr. Jennifer Niebyl (b. 1942) was turned down for residencies in obstetrics and gynecology by several university hospitals because she was a woman. Since completing her training, she has built an influential career, focusing on known problems affecting the developing fetus, as well as lesser-known concerns, such as the impact of morning sickness. In 1988, she became the third woman to head a department of obstetrics and gynecology in the United States.
Read more about Dr. Jennifer R. Niebyl.
For more information on fetal health and development, visit MedlinePlus.
Elizabeth Odilile Ofili, MD — education (teaching), internal medicine (cardiology)
Courtesy Elizabeth Odilile Ofili, MBBS, MPH
Because she had trained overseas, when Dr. Elizabeth Ofili (b. 1956) first came to the United States from Nigeria in 1982, she had to work especially hard to receive the proper recognition she deserved. She served as a professor of medicine, chief of cardiology, and director and principle investigator of the Clinical Research Center at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.
Read more about Dr. Elizabeth Odilile Ofili.
June E. Osborn, MD — pediatric medicine, internal medicine (epidemiology), administration (medical school deans), public health, internal medicine (infectious diseases)
Courtesy June E. Osborn, MD
For more than 30 years, Dr. June E. Osborn (b. 1937) has published research and served as an expert advisor on a number of urgent health and medical issues—including virology, infectious diseases and vaccines, and public health policy—to the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization.
Read more about Dr. June E. Osborn.
For more information about infectious diseases, visit MedlinePlus.
Janet Rose Osuch, MD — education (teaching), surgery (oncology)
Courtesy Janet Rose Osuch, MD, MS
Dr. Janet Rose Osuch (b. 1948) has served as a media spokesperson and national leader in issues of breast health. In 1991, she founded the Comprehensive Breast Health Clinic at Michigan State University, and her work to improve the standards in breast cancer screening led to The National Mammography Quality Standards Act, passed in 1992.
Read more about Dr. Janet Rose Osuch.
For more information about mammography, visit MedlinePlus.
Frances Owl-Smith, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy Frances Owl-Smith, MD
Dr. Frances Owl-Smith (b. 1950) is the first woman of the Eastern Band Cherokee to become a physician, and a role model for her children and her tribe. She attended medical school as a mature student, inspired to set a good example for her young children, and has shaped her career in medicine to accommodate the needs of family life and fulfill her professional ambitions at the same time.
Read more about Dr. Frances Owl-Smith.
Judith Ann Pachciarz, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy Judith Ann Pachciarz, MS, PhD, MD
As a young student, Dr. Judith Pachiarz (b. 1941) was told that a deaf girl had little chance of becoming a doctor. One high school instructor tried to prevent her from taking chemistry, claiming deafness would somehow cause her to knock over lab chemicals. Yet despite objections from many around her, and after being rejected by many of the schools she applied to, she has built a rewarding and successful career as one of the first profoundly deaf women physicians practicing in the United States.
Read more about Dr. Judith Ann Pachciarz.
For more information about hearing disorders and deafness, visit MedlinePlus.
Adriana R. Padilla, MD — general medicine (community), general medicine (family)
Courtesy Adriana R. Padilla, MD
Dr. Adriana Padilla sees herself as an administrator, educator, clinician, and role model for the Latino community she serves. Her professional positions include associate clinical professor of family and community medicine, and director of undergraduate medical education at the Fresno campus of the University of California, San Francisco. In addition to her work with medical students and family practice residents, she is a board-certified family physician and has maintained a private practice in Fresno.
Read more about Dr. Adriana R. Padilla.
Conchita Marie Paz, MD — general medicine (family), education (teaching)
Courtesy Conchita Marie Paz, MD
Dr. Conchita Marie Paz (b. 1954) completed her training as a physician while raising two young children as a single parent. She experienced cultural and gender discrimination as a Hispanic woman pursuing a career in medicine, but could count on the support of her family to help her succeed. Dr. Paz is a leader and role model. From 1992 to 1994, she served as president of the New Mexico Hispanic Medical Association. She has run a private practice in New Mexico and has taught at the university.
Read more about Dr. Conchita Marie Paz.
Louise Pearce, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy Courtesy of the Rockefeller University Archives
Dr. Louise Pearce (1885–1959), a physician and pathologist, was one of the foremost women scientists of the early 20th century. Her research with pathologist Wade Hampton Brown led to a cure for trypanosomiasis (African Sleeping sickness) in 1919.
Read more about Dr. Louise Pearce.
For more information about trypanosomiasis, also known as Chagas disease, visit MedlinePlus.
Pamela M. Peeke, MD — education (teaching), internal medicine
Courtesy Pamela M. Peeke, MPH, MD
With her expertise in nutrition science, Dr. Pamela M. Peeke (b. 1951) has combined her medical practice and scientific training to become a nationally recognized expert on healthy lifestyle choices. “While Hippocrates regarded nutrition and lifestyle as inseparable from medicine,” Dr. Peeke has written, “the number of physicians who are educated and trained in both medicine and nutrition is minuscule. We physicians who are nutrition specialists are the oddballs at the party because we regard nutrition as integral to health, longevity, and prevention of disease.”
Read more about Dr. Pamela M. Peeke.
For more information about nutrition, visit MedlinePlus.
Fernande Marie Pelletier, MD — general medicine (community), surgery
Courtesy Medical Mission Sisters
Sister Fernande Pelletier (b. 1931), a member of the Medical Mission Sisters (founded 1925), worked overseas for more than forty years, carrying out the mission of her order in Ghana and offering medical care to underserved populations. Her incredible devotion and service has been rewarded by the Ghanaian government, and in rural communities far from fully-equipped hospitals, she continues to care for those in need.
Read more about Dr. Fernande Marie Pelletier.
Lucille C. Norville Perez, MD — administration (medical association presidents), pediatric medicine
Courtesy National Medical Association
Dr. Lucille Perez (b. 1952) was associate director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She was a leading authority on substance abuse and HIV prevention, and headed the internationally renowned Faculty Department Program at CSAP.
Read more about Dr. Lucille C. Norville Perez.
For more information about substance abuse, visit MedlinePlus.
Muriel Petioni, MD — general medicine
Courtesy Friends of the Harlem Hospital Center
Dr. Muriel Petioni (1914–2011) was dubbed the “matron of Harlem health.” Petioni’s response? “Yup...They call me a legend.” She was an energetic, mischievous pioneer and a self-proclaimed “meddler.” In 2002, at age 88, she was still spending almost every day at Harlem Hospital Center, advocating for unhappy patients and even watching for maintenance problems.
Read more about Dr. Muriel Petioni.
Vivian W. Pinn, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology), administration (government)
Courtesy Vivian W. Pinn, MD
In her role as director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Vivian Pinn (b. 1941) had been in the position to ensure that women’s health was a high priority at NIH. The appointment heralded the culmination of her lifelong focus on quality health care for all. Since retiring from the NIH in 2011, Dr. Pinn has served as a senior scientist emerita at NIH’s Fogarty International Center, and continues to advocate for women’s health and women in medicine.
Read more about Dr. Vivian W. Pinn.
For more information about women's health, visit MedlinePlus.
Mary Lake Polan, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Mary Lake Polan, MD, PhD, MPH
Dr. Mary Lake Polan (b. 1943) has combined rigorous scientific research with a humanistic clinical approach, in a career spanning women’s health, clinical medicine, medical education, and governmental organizations.
Read more about Dr. Mary Lake Polan.
For more information about women's health, visit MedlinePlus.
Deborah Elizabeth Powell, MD — administration (medical school deans), diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy Deborah Elizabeth Powell, MD
In her role as executive dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Kansas, Dr. Deborah E. Powell (b. 1939) instituted the Professionalism Initiative to foster the “preservation of true medical professionalism that not only embraces science and technology, but also the human element.”
Read more about Dr. Deborah Elizabeth Powell.
Ann Preston, MD — education (teaching)
Courtesy National Library of Medicine, Images from the History of Medicine, B030140
As the first woman to be made dean of the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania (WMCP), Ann Preston campaigned for her students to be admitted to clinical lectures at the Philadelphia Hospital and the Pennsylvania Hospital. Despite the hostility of the all-male student groups, she was determined to negotiate the best educational opportunities for the students of WMCP.
Read more about Dr. Ann Preston.
Deborah Prothrow-Stith, MD — public health (government)
Courtesy Harvard University School of Public Health, Division of Public Health Practice, Photograph by Bachrach
Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith (b. 1954) is among the nation’s pre-eminent leaders in addressing violence as a public health issue. She believes the profit motive is one reason why the United States has become a violent society. Many industries depend on marketing—and selling—violence in order to prosper; from movies that celebrate violence to graphic video games and the manufacture and sale of guns.
Read more about Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith.
For more information about domestic violence, visit MedlinePlus.
Helen Cordelia Putnam, MD — public health (social medicine), obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Vassar College Libraries
A physician and public health reformer, Dr. Helen Cordelia Putnam (1857–1951) was an early advocate of prenatal and neonatal care for low-income families. She championed improved standards of hygiene and cleanliness in schools, and worked for women’s right to vote and better treatment of the mentally ill.
Read more about Dr. Helen Cordelia Putnam.
For more information about prenatal care, visit MedlinePlus.
Fannie Almara Quain, MD — general medicine (family)
Courtesy State Historical Society of North Dakota 0091-252
Dr. Fannie Almara Dunn Quain (1874–1950), the first woman born in North Dakota to earn a doctor of medicine degree, is best remembered for championing a state campaign to eradicate tuberculosis, and helping to establish baby clinics and a state sanitarium. Dr. Quain also was a founder and president of the North Dakota Tuberculosis Association, and helped improve standards for nurses’ training in the state.
Read more about Dr. Fannie Almara Quain.
For more information about tuberculosis, visit MedlinePlus.
Sylvia M. Ramos, MD — surgery, education (teaching)
Courtesy Sylvia M. Ramos, MD, MS
Dr. Sylvia Ramos (b. 1946) was a clinical professor of surgery at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Throughout her career, she focused on breast cancer and the use of ultrasound for diagnostic procedures, and the role of peer support on quality of life and outcomes for cancer survivors.
Read more about Dr. Sylvia M. Ramos.
For more information about breast cancer, visit MedlinePlus.
Teresa Ramos, MD — internal medicine, education (teaching)
Courtesy Teresa Ramos, MD, MPH
Dr. Teresa Ramos (b. 1959) is a leading figure in the Hispanic medical community and has worked as a physician, medical director, and health care cultural competancy consultant. She was a senior member of the faculty, chief of the Preventive Medicine Section, and director of Adolescent Medicine Health Service at Illinois Masonic Medical Center (IMMC) in Chicago in the 2000s. She was also an assistant professor at Rush Medical College.
Read more about Dr. Teresa Ramos.
For more information about teen health, visit MedlinePlus.
Helen M. Ranney, MD — internal medicine (hematology)
Courtesy Helen M. Ranney, MD
Dr. Helen Ranney’s (1920–2010) landmark research during the 1950s was some of the earliest proof of a link between genetic factors and sickle cell anemia. She went on to become the first woman to chair the department of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and was the first woman president of the Association of American Physicians from 1984 to 1985.
Read more about Dr. Helen M. Ranney.
For more information about sickle cell disease, visit MedlinePlus.
Clarice D. Reid, MD — public health (government), pediatric medicine
Courtesy Clarice D. Reid, MD, photograph by Studio One
Dr. Clarice Reid began her education in the segregated schools of Birmingham, Alabama, and went on to become director of the Division of Blood Diseases and Resources, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health. She was responsible for planning, directing, and evaluating research in blood diseases in six national program areas: thrombosis and hemostasis, cellular hematology, sickle cell disease, transfusion medicine, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and bone marrow transplantation.
Read more about Dr. Clarice D. Reid.
For more information about blood disorders, visit MedlinePlus.
Lynne McArthur Reid, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy Lynne McArthur Reid, MD
Dr. Lynne Reid (b. 1923) has served as a professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School and pathologist-in-chief emeritus at Children’s Hospital in Boston. She has received numerous commendations for her work and has held a series of distinguished appointments in Britain, Australia, and the United States.
Read more about Dr. Lynne McArthur Reid.
Rachel Naomi Remen, MD — pediatric medicine (endocrinology)
Courtesy Rachel Naomi Remen, MD
To provide quality patient care, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen (b. 1938) combines the art and science of medicine through a holistic approach. She was one of the first Western trained physicians active in the mind/body holistic health movement. She is co-founder and medical director of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program and has cared for cancer patients and their families since 1975.
Read more about Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen.
For more information about complementary and integrative medicine, visit MedlinePlus.
Ina Park Rhee, MD — internal medicine (oncology)
Courtesy Ina Park Rhee, MD, PhD
Dr. Ina Park Rhee (b. 1974) has been a resident in internal medicine at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital. In May 2002, she graduated with both an MD and a PhD in human genetics.
Read more about Dr. Ina Park Rhee.
Karen Schulder Rheuban, MD — education (teaching), pediatric medicine (cardiology)
Courtesy Karen Schulder Rheuban, MD
Dr. Karen Rheuban (b. 1949) is playing a key role in 21st-century medicine, using telemedicine to provide the best health care has to offer to rural communities. In essence, she can electronically transport key personnel to a remote operating room or bedside, so that a specialist surgeon can consult from afar during an operation, a dermatologist can offer a second opinion to a local hospital, or a cardiologist can use tele-echocardiography to help determine a diagnosis.
Read more about Dr. Karen Schulder Rheuban.
Laurel Wysong Rice, MD — internal medicine (oncology)
Courtesy Laurel Wysong Rice, MD
Dr. Laurel W. Rice (b. 1956) has devoted her career to the understanding and treatment of gynecological cancers. While director of the University of Virginia’s Division of Gynecologic Oncology and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Rice personified the University’s Cancer Center mission of “changing the future of cancer.” Now serving as chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, she continues to balance a broad range of professional responsibilities, including patient care, teaching, research, and the organization and administration of clinical trials.
Read more about Dr. Laurel Wysong Rice.
For more information about cancer, visit MedlinePlus.
Barbara L. Riley, MD — general medicine (family)
Courtesy Barbara L. Riley, MD
As a family physician, Dr. Barbara L. Riley (b. 1951) has always made her own family as well as her medical career her highest priorities. As her responsibilities as a parent changed, she modified her work as a physician, taking part-time jobs when necessary. When her children became older, she found the opportunity to extend her work around the world and broaden the group she cares for.
Read more about Dr. Barbara L. Riley.
Elena V. Rios, MD — administration (medical association presidents), education (teaching), internal medicine
Courtesy Elena V. Rios, MSPH, MD
From the very beginning of her training in medicine, Dr. Elena Rios (b. 1955) has worked to improve the recruitment and success rates of minority students in U.S. medical schools. After graduation, she turned her voluntary work with individual students into a large-scale, national effort by co-founding the National Network of Latin American Medical Students. Since then, she has held a series of appointments in California programs designed to improve educational and career opportunities for minorities in the health professions, and in 1998, Dr. Rios was appointed president of the National Hispanic Medical Association.
Read more about Dr. Elena V. Rios.
Carolyn Bauer Robinowitz, MD — administration (medical school deans), psychiatry
Courtesy Carolyn Bauer Robinowitz, MD
On July 1, 1998, Dr. Carolyn Bauer Robinowitz (b. 1938) was named academic dean of the Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. She was the first woman psychiatrist to become dean of a U.S. medical school and one of nine women deans among the nation’s 125 medical schools. A physician who specializes in child and adolescent psychiatry, Dr. Robinowitz has taught part-time and served as a senior consultant to medical and educational organizations and institutions.
Read more about Dr. Carolyn Bauer Robinowitz.
For more information about teen mental health, visit MedlinePlus.
Merlyn Meneze Rodrigues, MD — internal medicine (ophthalmology), diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy Merlyn Meneze Rodrigues, MD, MS, PhD
Dr. Merlyn Meneze Rodrigues (b. 1938) has devoted her career to public service on both the state and federal levels as a professor, senior scientist, educator, and administrator. She was a scientific review administrator and research medical officer at the National Library of Medicine, where she helped to keep the latest research in the biomedical sciences accessible in one of the largest collections of medical knowledge in the world. In December 2015, Dr. Rodrigues took the role of scientific program manager for the Biorepositories & Biospecimen Research Branch, part of the Cancer Diagnosis Program at the National Institutes of Health.
Read more about Dr. Merlyn Meneze Rodrigues.
Irene Elizabeth Roeckel, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy Irene Elizabeth Roeckel, MD
A pioneer in the field of laboratory medicine, Dr. Irene Roeckel (1924–2006) devised laboratory procedures for understanding kidney and liver diseases, glucose and insulin tolerance, and carbohydrate metabolism. Later in her career, Dr. Roeckel oversaw the development and management of the first blood bank at the University of Kentucky.
Read more about Dr. Irene Elizabeth Roeckel.
For more information about kidney diseases, visit MedlinePlus.
Mary Hasbah Roessel, MD — psychiatry
Courtesy Mary Hasbah Roessel, MD
“As a Native American psychiatrist, I understand the psychological, social, emotional, and cultural issues confronting Native patients,” says Dr. Mary Hasbah Roessel (b. 1958). “This helps cut through the barriers that so often confront our Native people when they negotiate the western medical field.” Dr. Roessel has bridged the unfamiliar world of orthodox medicine and the community practices of American Indian communities to deliver health care in a compassionate and comprehensible way.
Read more about Dr. Mary Hasbah Roessel.
For more information about American Indian Health, visit MedlinePlus.
Cecilia M. Romero, MD — general medicine (family)
Courtesy Cecilia Miera Romero, MD
Dr. Cecilia Romero (b. 1947) has helped more than 500 young doctors better serve their Hispanic patients. In her academic career, Dr. Cecilia Romero has taught a course in Spanish at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas. Dr. Romero’s commitment to this course was just one way she helped to improve the health of the Hispanic community while advocating for “all levels of underrepresented minorities.”
Read more about Dr. Cecilia M. Romero.
Marian Wilkins Ropes, MD — research, education (teaching)
Courtesy The Harvard Medical Library in the Frances A. Countway Library of Medicine
Dr. Marian Wilkins Ropes (1903–1994) once commented that the art of medicine is a subtle one, and more difficult to learn than any volume of medical data. As a trained chemist and esteemed scientist, she was well-known for her laboratory skills, but over 30 years as a professor at Harvard Medical School and as a clinician at Massachusetts General Hospital, she also built an impressive reputation for her teaching and patient care.
Read more about Dr. Marian Wilkins Ropes.
Linda Rosenstock, MD — internal medicine (occupational), administration (medical school deans), administration (government)
Courtesy Linda Rosenstock, MD, MPH
As a new graduate with degrees in both medicine and public health, Dr. Linda Rosenstock (b. 1950) chose public health over clinical practice to reach as many people as she could. In her academic and public service careers, Dr. Rosenstock has shaped health care policy and delivery for literally millions of Americans, saying simply “…who wouldn’t want to improve health for thousands or millions at a time?”
Read more about Dr. Linda Rosenstock.
Barbara Ross-Lee, DO — administration (medical school deans), general medicine (osteopathy)
Courtesy Barbara Ross-Lee, DO
Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee (b. 1942) has worked in private practice, for the U.S. Public Health Service, and on numerous committees, and in 1993 was the first African American woman to be appointed dean of a United States medical school.
Read more about Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee.
Yvette Roubideaux, MD — internal medicine
Courtesy Yvette Roubideaux, MD, MPH
Dr. Yvette Roubideaux (b. 1963), a member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe, served as director of the Indian Health Service and a senior adviser to the Health and Human Services Secretary for American Indians and Alaska Natives during the Obama Administration. She has been an assistant professor in both the College of Public Health and College of Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She has dedicated her career to improving American Indian health care through teaching and research, focusing on diabetes as a pervasive chronic disease. In 2001 she co-edited a book on Indian health policy with Mim Dixon, PhD, entitled Promises to Keep: Public Health Policy for American Indians and Alaska Natives in the 21st Century.
Read more about Dr. Yvette Roubideaux.
For more information about American Indian Health, visit MedlinePlus.
Marilyn A. Roubidoux, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (radiology)
Courtesy Marilyn A. Roubidoux, MD
Dr. Marilyn A. Roubidoux (b. 1948) works to bring existing medical tools to the underserved to diagnose cancer and identify risk factors for the disease. As a member of the Sioux and Iowa Nations, she has seen high incidences of cancer among American Indian and Alaska Native populations from a personal and a medical perspective. As a researcher, teacher, and physician, she has tackled the issue in a number of ways—by drawing national attention to this health disparity and raising awareness within at-risk communities.
Read more about Dr. Marilyn A. Roubidoux.
For more information about American Indian Health, visit MedlinePlus.
Janet Davison Rowley, MD — research (human genetics)
Courtesy Janet Davison Rowley, MD, photograph by David Bentley Photography Inc.
In the early 1970s, Dr. Janet Rowley (1925–2013) identified a process of “translocation,” or the exchange of genetic material between chromosomes in patients with leukemia. This discovery, along with Dr. Rowley’s subsequent work on chromosomal abnormalities, has revolutionized the medical understanding of the role of genetic exchange and damage in causing disease.
Read more about Dr. Janet Davison Rowley.
For more information about leukemia, visit MedlinePlus.
Florence Rena Sabin, MD — research (immunology)
Courtesy Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College
Dr. Florence Rena Sabin (1871–1953) was one of the first women physicians to build a career as a research scientist. She was the first woman on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, building an impressive reputation for her work in embryology and histology (the study of tissues). She also overturned the traditional explanation of the development of the lymphatic system by proving that it developed from the veins in the embryo and grew out into tissues, and not the other way around.
Read more about Dr. Florence Rena Sabin.
Gloria Elizabeth Sarto, MD — research (human genetics), administration (medical association presidents)
Courtesy University of Wisconsin Center for Women’s Health & Women’s Health Research
Dr. Gloria Sarto (b. 1929), whose specialty is obstetrics and gynecology, also has a PhD in medical genetics. She has had an illustrious research career and holds two patents for processes in genetic research she co-invented. She has also chaired departments of obstetrics and gynecology at the Universities of Wisconsin and New Mexico, and in 2002, became the first woman to be elected president of the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society.
Read more about Dr. Gloria Elizabeth Sarto.
For more information about genetic disorders, visit MedlinePlus.
Louise Schnaufer, MD — surgery (pediatric)
Courtesy Louise Schnaufer, MD
Dr. Louise Schnaufer (1925–2011) held a career full of excitement and innovation as a pediatric surgeon for more than 50 years. In 2001 she traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda with the Doctors On Call for Service Foundation (DOCS), to train surgeons in her specialist skills. She described the trip as the most exciting thing she has ever done.
Read more about Dr. Louise Schnaufer.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Edyth Hull Schoenrich, MD — public health
Courtesy Edyth Hull Schoenrich, MD, MPH
Dr. Edyth Schoenrich (b. 1919) has had a wide-ranging and influential career in medicine, as a physician, researcher, administrator, and teacher. Dr. Schoenrich has continued to share her experiences and training with the next generation of public health professionals into her 80s and 90s.
Read more about Dr. Edyth Hull Schoenrich.
Marianne Schuelein, MD — education (teaching), pediatric medicine (neurology)
Courtesy Marianne Schuelein, MD
As a pediatric neurologist at Georgetown University Hospital in the 1960s and 1970s, Dr. Marianne Schuelein (b. 1934) came to understand the problems of affordable child care from her own experience as a working mother. In 1973, as vice president of the District of Columbia chapter of the American Woman’s Medical Association, she decided to present the issue directly to Albert Ullman (D-Oregon), chair of the Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1976, Congress passed a law allowing child care tax deductions, enabling more women to work outside the home.
Read more about Dr. Marianne Schuelein.
Rosalyn P. Scott, MD — surgery (thoracic), education (teaching)
Courtesy Rosalyn P. Sterling Scott, MD, MSHA
Dr. Rosalyn P. Sterling Scott (b. 1950) is the first African American woman to be trained in thoracic surgery, the first African American woman to be granted membership in the Society of University Surgeons, and the first Mary A. Fraley Cardiovascular Surgical Research Fellow at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston. Determined to raise the aspirations of students intimidated by discrimination in surgery, she is also a former president of Women in Thoracic Surgery and a founding member of both the Association of Black Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons and the Society of Black Academic Surgeons.
Read more about Dr. Rosalyn P. Scott.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Jessie Boyd Scriver, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Charles R. Scriver, MD
Dr. Jessie Boyd Scriver (1894–2000) was one of the first women to study medicine at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
Read more about Dr. Jessie Boyd Scriver.
Ida Sophia Scudder, MD (seated left) — internal medicine
Courtesy Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine
In the early 1890s in India, before Dr. Ida Scudder (1870–1960) had even decided to study medicine, she was summoned one evening to attend to several women in childbirth whose husbands refused to allow the presence of a male physician. Watching helplessly as all three women died, Scudder committed herself to providing Indian women with medical education and care. She went on to do just that, in a career spanning five decades.
Read more about Dr. Ida Sophia Scudder.
For more information about women's health, visit MedlinePlus.
Eleanor Gossard Shore, MD — administration (medical school deans), internal medicine (preventative)
Courtesy Eleanor Gossard Shore, MD, MPH, photograph copyright MotoPhoto & Portrait Studio
Dr. Eleanor Shore (b. 1930) was a dean for faculty affairs at Harvard Medical School and was deputy director of the Harvard Medical School Center of Excellence in Women’s Health. She trained at Harvard Medical School during the postwar “experimental” era, between 1945 and 1955, when women were admitted on a trial basis. In her academic roles, she led the drive to increase diversity amongst Harvard faculty and instituted a range of new initiatives to promote gender equality in career development at the school.
Read more about Dr. Eleanor Gossard Shore.
Omega C. Logan Silva, MD — research (endocrinology), internal medicine
Courtesy Omega Cecile Logan Silva, MD, photograph by James Carroll
Dr. Omega Logan Silva (b. 1936) is professor emeritus of medicine at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and a medical review officer for Employee Health Programs in Bethesda, Maryland. She is a long-standing advocate for universal health care and a committed supporter of the advancement of women in medicine. In 1999, Dr. Silva was appointed president-elect of the American Medical Women’s Association.
Read more about Dr. Omega C. Logan Silva.
Charlotte Silverman, MD — internal medicine (epidemiology)
Courtesy Johns Hopkins University Hygiene Development Office
Dr. Charlotte Silverman (1913–2003) built her career in epidemiology at a time when new developments in the field brought many benefits and unkown risks. As an associate chief at the Food and Drug Administration, she helped test and monitor these innovations and their long-term consequences.
Read more about Dr. Charlotte Silverman.
Marjorie Spurrier Sirridge, MD — internal medicine (hematology), administration (medical school deans), education (teaching)
Courtesy Marjorie Spurrier Sirridge, MD
Dr. Marjorie S. Sirridge (1921–2014) recognized the benefits of exchange and collaboration in medical education and practice. She launched initiatives to help teachers learn from their students and to improve opportunities for women in medicine, to the benefit of their colleagues and patients. As an exemplar of her own philosophy, she proudly served as a role model for physicians who balance family life with a demanding career.
Read more about Dr. Marjorie Spurrier Sirridge.
Anneliese Lotte Sitarz, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Anneliese Lotte Sitarz, MD
During her 45 years working with the Children’s Cancer Group (CCG) at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Anneliese Sitarz (1928–2015) saw cancer survival in children surge from 1 percent to 80 percent. The National Cancer Institute established the CCG program in 1955 to study the potential of antileukemic agents in children. At the 40th anniversary of CCG, Dr. Sitarz, one of the founding investigators, was recognized for her contributions to the study and improved treatments for leukemia.
Read more about Dr. Anneliese Lotte Sitarz.
For more information about cancer in children, visit MedlinePlus.
Eve Elizabeth Slater, MD — internal medicine (cardiology)
Courtesy The University of Vermont Development and Alumni Relations
Dr. Eve Slater (b. 1945) has worked in clinical and laboratory research, developed life-saving drugs, managed regulatory affairs at one of the largest pharmaceutical laboratories, and guided health policy decisions affecting the nation as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2002 to 2003. Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson hailed Dr. Slater as a relentless advocate for the health and well-being of all Americans, and predicted that her tireless work at the Department of Health and Human Services would result in a lasting legacy of achievement.
Read more about Dr. Eve Elizabeth Slater.
Susan Potts Sloan, MD — internal medicine
Courtesy Larry Smith, ETSU Photo Lab
Dr. Susan Sloan was discouraged from pursuing a medical education by her high school guidance counselors. Twenty-two years after leaving university and becoming a teacher, and with a family of five young children, she enrolled in medical school to complete the training she had wanted to pursue for so long. In 2002, Dr. Sloan became associate director of an internal medicine program at East Tennessee State University and an advocate for community groups providing medical care to underserved women.
Read more about Dr. Susan Potts Sloan.
Diane Gail Snustad, MD — internal medicine (geriatrics)
Courtesy Diane Gail Snustad, MD
Dr. Diane Snustad (b. 1952) has said, “I give medical students and residents a role model of a human being able to balance full-time academic work, a family, a marriage, and a sense of humor.” Not only has she shown her students that you can “do it all,” she has shown them how to do it well: “They see me dealing with my patients as real people, negotiating with them to customize their care with their wishes and values.” The exemplary care she has given her elderly patients and the example she has set for medical students are two of the reasons Diane Snustad was named one of the “Best Doctors in America” in both 2001 and 2002.
Read more about Dr. Diane Gail Snustad.
Nancy L. Snyderman, MD — surgery (otolaryngology)
Courtesy Nancy Lynn Snyderman, MD, photograph copyright Deborah Feingold
Dr. Nancy Snyderman (b. 1952) has never been afraid to re-invent herself when she thought the time was right. “I have had this churning in my gut always, I guess,” she says, “and fortunately for me, I’ve listened to it—such that I’ve allowed myself to entertain more than one thing.” From working with individual patients as a practicing physician, she moved into television journalism where she provided health education to a wide audience. A trained pediatrician and a practicing surgeon, Dr. Snyderman was health correspondent for ABC television’s Good Morning America and has reported from around the world on a wide range of medical topics.
Read more about Dr. Nancy L. Snyderman.
Jeannette E. South-Paul, MD — general medicine (family)
Courtesy Jeannette E. South-Paul, MD
In 1973, in order to pay for her medical school expenses at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Jeanette E. South-Paul (b. 1953) joined ROTC, the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps. Twenty-eight years later, Colonel Jeanette South-Paul, MD, became the first woman and the first African American to serve as chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.
Read more about Dr. Jeannette E. South-Paul.
Anna Lenore Skow Southam, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy The University of Idaho Alumni Association
Dr. Anna Lenore Skow Southam (1915–1996) conducted extensive research and published widely in the area of reproductive health, infertility, and sterility, and performed some of the earliest clinical evaluations of a rapid immunological pregnancy test.
Read more about Dr. Anna Lenore Skow Southam.
For more information about infertility, visit MedlinePlus.
Edith E. Sproul, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (pathology)
Courtesy Photograph by Ed Hajjar
Specializing in cancer pathology, Dr. Edith Sproul (1907–1999) was the first to describe the relationship between thrombophlebitis and pancreatic cancer, and the first pathologist to describe cell changes associated with the early stages of cancer of the prostate. Her work with George Papanicolou at Cornell University Medical School led to the development of the pap smear test for cervical cancer, and she and Charles Gutman of Mount Sinai, New York, were co-discoverers of the association between prostatic cancer and the enzyme acid phosphatase.
Read more about Dr. Edith E. Sproul.
For more information about cervical cancer, visit MedlinePlus.
Jeanne Spurlock, MD — psychiatry (child and adolescent)
Courtesy American Medical Women's Association
Physician, educator, and writer Dr. Jeanne Spurlock (1921–1999) drew inspiration in her career from the challenges she faced in life as an African American woman. As a psychiatrist, she made significant contributions in focusing the medical community’s attention on the stresses of poverty, sexism, racism, and discrimination that affect women, minorities, gays, and lesbians. She was particularly concerned with addressing the unique challenges faced by single women, children of absent fathers, and African Americans experiencing what she called “survivor guilt,” —having ambivalent feelings about their own success.
Read more about Dr. Jeanne Spurlock.
For more information about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender health visit MedlinePlus.
Lucy Frank Squire, MD — diagnostic and therapeutic services (radiology)
Courtesy Downstate Medical Center Archives
Dr. Lucy Frank Squire (1915–1996) was a noted radiologist who became known as a medical educator and mentor to generations of students at the State University of New York (SUNY) Health Science Center. Her landmark book, Fundamentals of Radiology has been a standard in the field since its publication in 1964.
Read more about Dr. Lucy Frank Squire.
For more information about diagnostic imaging, visit MedlinePlus.
Sarah M. Stelzner, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Sarah M. Stelzner, MD
Dr. Sarah Stelzner (b. 1967) brings her cultural heritage into her work. As a woman of Mexican-Nicaraguan heritage who spent part of her childhood in Latin America, her ability to speak Spanish and understand cultural differences greatly enhances the trust and communication between her and her patients. Dr. Stelzner has used these skills while training in primary care at the University of California, San Francisco, serving patients in the Mission district at San Francisco General Hospital, and volunteering in the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic.
Read more about Dr. Sarah M. Stelzner.
Victoria M. Stevens, MD — surgery (orthopedic)
Courtesy Victoria M. Stevens, MD
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Victoria M. Stevens (b. 1951) practiced in Globe, Arizona, in the same town where she was born. As a woman physician and a member of the San Carlos Apache tribe, she served as a role model for young women interested in following in her footsteps. To help raise awareness of the success of women physicians from all sorts of backgrounds, she was among several women surgeons featured in the 2002 National Institutes of Health video Women are Scientists.
Read more about Dr. Victoria M. Stevens.
For more information about surgery, visit MedlinePlus.
Paula L. Stillman, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Paula L. Stillman, MD, MBA
While teaching pediatrics at the University of Arizona in the 1970s, Dr. Paula Stillman (b. 1945) needed a reliable way to evaluate her students’ clinical competence. Her solution was to train and use “patient instructors” or “standardized patients.” Stillman’s system is a competency based program, Objective Structured Clinical Evaluations (OSCE), developed to assess medical students, foreign medical graduates, and U.S. doctors in danger of losing their licenses. Her system has also been adopted by medical schools in China.
Read more about Dr. Paula L. Stillman.
Katharine Boucot Sturgis, MD — internal medicine (pulmonology), research, education (teaching)
Courtesy Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine
After entering the University of Pennsylvania’s premedical course in 1922, it took Dr. Katharine Sturgis (1903–1987) nearly 20 years to complete her medical education. By the end of her career, Dr. Sturgis was considered a pioneer in pulmonary research, with approximately 100 publications to her credit, including important work on the correlation between smoking and lung cancer.
Read more about Dr. Katharine Boucot Sturgis.
For more information about lung cancer, visit MedlinePlus.
Judith Lea Swain, MD — internal medicine (cardiology)
Courtesy Judith Lea Swain, MD
Dr. Judith Lea Swain (b. 1948) is a specialist in cardiology. As well as patient care, Dr. Swain has worked in many areas of medicine, from research to invention, publishing to hospital administration, professional consulting to academic leadership. She has also mentored others in the development of their medical careers.
Read more about Dr. Judith Lea Swain.
For more information about heart diseases, visit MedlinePlus.
Natalia M. Tanner, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Natalia M. Tanner, MD, photograph by Olan Mills
Dr. Natalia M. Tanner (1922–2018) built a long and distinguished career in pediatrics. Associated with black-owned and operated hospitals, as well as majority institutions throughout her career, she played a very personal role in improving underserved patients’ access to health care and minority physicians’ access to the institutions of professional medicine.
Read more about Dr. Natalia M. Tanner.
Caroline Bedell Thomas, MD — internal medicine (cardiology)
Courtesy The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
In 1948, Dr. Caroline Bedell Thomas (1904–1997) launched a long-term study of health and risk factors for hypertension and heart disease. Her research strategy proved so beneficial that the work she began continues today, and her data has led to the discovery of the connection between high cholesterol and heart disease.
Read more about Dr. Caroline Bedell Thomas.
For more information about heart disease, visit MedlinePlus.
Debi Thomas, MD — surgery (orthopedic)
Courtesy Mentor Management, photograph by Paul Harvath
Dr. Debi Thomas (b. 1967) grew up wanting to be a champion figure skater and a doctor, and she has succeeded as both. In 1988, she won the bronze Olympic medal and in 1997, she graduated from Northwestern University Medical School.
Read more about Dr. Debi Thomas.
Lois Pendleton Todd, MD — surgery, internal medicine (preventative)
Courtesy Elinor Todd Christiansen, MD
In 1920, Dr. Lois Pendleton (1894–1968), a 26-year-old American physician, sailed for China to serve as a surgeon in a mission hospital in Shantung province. It was the beginning of a remarkable life—one that combined healing with study of the Chinese language and culture. It was also a life of commitment and courage.
Read more about Dr. Lois Pendleton Todd.
Adela S. Valdez, MD — general medicine (family)
Courtesy Adela S. Valdez, MD, photograph by Terry Creative Photography
Dr. Adela S. Valdez (b. 1954) has practiced medicine in Harlingen, Texas, where she was born and raised. During more than 20 years of practice, Dr. Valdez has held many positions and accomplished many firsts. She has been a clinical instructor, medical director, professor, New York University Fellow in Health Care Policy, and a graduate of Leadership Texas (an organization which “develops programs and projects to advance and improve the personal, economic, and professional status of women.”). In 2015, Dr. Valdez was named the associate dean of Student Affairs at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine. Yet the thing Valdez values most is simply being a “role model,” paving the way for others with similar backgrounds and obstacles.
Read more about Dr. Adela S. Valdez.
Bertha Van Hoosen, MD — administration (medical association presidents), education (teaching), obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy American Medical Women's Association
In 1947, Dr. Bertha Van Hoosen (1863–1952) published an autobiography detailing her pioneering role in medicine and her abiding interest in women’s health issues. After more than 60 years, she had done much to advance the position of women in medicine—training physicians, fostering closer ties among her women peers, and serving as a model for those striving to enter fields previously closed to women. In addition, Dr. Van Hoosen could look back on a rewarding career teaching and practicing obstetrics.
Read more about Dr. Bertha Van Hoosen.
For more information about women’s health, visit MedlinePlus.
Ileana Vargas-Rodriquez, MD — pediatric medicine (endocrinology)
Courtesy Ileana Vargas-Rodriguez, MD
Pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Ileana Vargas-Rodriguez (b. 1960) specializes in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Childhood obesity predisposes people to type 2 diabetes later in life, which usually develops in adults age 40 and older. About 80 percent of adults with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Dr. Vargas-Rodriguez worries because she sees an epidemic of obesity among children and teens, particularly Latino youth, in the New York community of Washington Heights, in upper Manhattan.
Read more about Dr. Ileana Vargas-Rodriquez.
For more information about type 2 diabetes, visit MedlinePlus.
Yvonnecris Smith Veal, MD — internal medicine (occupational), pediatric medicine
Courtesy Yvonnecris Smith Veal, MD, photograph copyright Scurlock Studio
In 1895, the National Medical Association was founded to advocate for African American physicians and their patients. In 1989, Dr. Yvonnecris Smith Veal (b. 1936) became the first woman to chair the association’s Board of Trustees. In 1995, while senior medical director for the U.S. Postal Service New York metropolitan area, Dr. Veal was named the 95th president of the National Medical Association. Only the fourth woman to serve as its president, Dr. Veal became a spokesperson for more than 25,000 African American physicians.
Read more about Dr. Yvonnecris Smith Veal.
Sara Ellen Walker, MD — education (teaching), internal medicine (rheumatology)
Courtesy Fayetteville Observer
Dr. Sara E. Walker (b. 1939), a specialist in rheumatology, studies the chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly known as lupus. Her investigations have found a link between certain hormones and lupus, a disease nine times more common in women than in men. Dr. Walker is a past president of the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine (ACP-ASIM).
Read more about Dr. Sara Ellen Walker.
For more information about lupus, visit MedlinePlus.
Lila Amdurska Wallis, MD — education (teaching), internal medicine (endocrinology), internal medicine (hematology)
Courtesy Lila Amdurska Wallis, MD
Colleagues have described Dr. Lila A. Wallis (b. 1921) as “the godmother of women’s health.” Dr. Wallis has instituted a range of initiatives to improve patients’ experiences during physical examinations. For half a century, she has been a leading advocate for women’s rights to high standards of compassionate care and a partnership role in decisions about their treatment.
Read more about Dr. Lila Amdurska Wallis.
For more information about women’s health, visit MedlinePlus.
Rebekah May Wang-Cheng, MD — psychiatry, internal medicine, education (teaching)
Courtesy Rebekah May Wang-Cheng, MD
In 2002, after two decades in academic medicine, Dr. Rebekah Wang-Cheng (b. 1953) decided to leave the Medical College of Wisconsin and open a solo practice in California. Much to her delight, she found that while she no longer held the title of professor, she would always be a teacher. “Teaching is my passion,” she said. “For nineteen years I taught medical students, residents, and junior faculty. Now my focus is more on teaching and empowering patients and nurses.”
Read more about Dr. Rebekah May Wang-Cheng.
Ethel Schwartz Weinberg, MD — administration (medical association presidents), diagnostic and therapeutic services (anesthesiology), education (academic affairs)
Courtesy Virginia Verral Weldon, MD
Dr. Ethel Weinberg (1936-2020) was instrumental in establishing emergency medicine as a medical specialty with a standard training in acute care internship. She identified emergency room medicine (with its flexible hours) as an area well-suited to women with children and launched a training program that won approval from the American Board of Medical Specialties for the first ever internship in acute care.
Read more about Dr. Ethel Schwartz Weinberg.
For more information about emergency medical services, visit MedlinePlus.
Virginia Verral Weldon, MD — pediatric medicine (endocrinology)
Courtesy Nanette Kass Wenger, MD
Dr. Virginia Verral Weldon (b. 1935), a retired pediatric endocrinologist, was head of the Center for the Study of American Business at Washington University. She has crafted a dynamic career in research and administration and has served as an expert advisor on a number of national science initiatives.
Read more about Dr. Virginia Verral Weldon.
Nanette Kass Wenger, MD — internal medicine (cardiology), education (teaching)
Courtesy Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZC4-7337
Heart disease has traditionally been understood as primarily affecting men. Dr. Nanette Kass Wenger (b. 1930) was among the first physicians to focus on coronary heart disease in women, and to evaluate the different risk factors and features of the condition in women and men.
Read more about Dr. Nanette Kass Wenger.
For more information on heart disease in women, visit MedlinePlus.
Anna Wessels Williams, MD — research (bacteriology)
Courtesy Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University
Dr. Anna Wessels Williams (1863–1954) worked at the first municipal diagnostic laboratory in the United States, at the New York City Department of Health. She isolated a strain of diphtheria that was instrumental in the development of an antitoxin for the disease. She was a firm believer in the collaborative nature of laboratory science, and helped build some of the more successful teams of bacteriologists, which included many women, working in the country at the time.
Read more about Dr. Anna Wessels Williams.
For more information about diptheria, visit MedlinePlus.
Laura Ann Williams, MD — general medicine (community), general medicine (family)
Courtesy Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
As a member of the Juaneno-Acjachemen Nation who has been active in organizations for both American Indian medical students and physicians, Dr. Laura Ann Williams (b. 1963) set a personal goal to improve medical care for American Indian populations. To help achieve this goal, she has founded, directed, and served on the Board of Directors for the California office of the Association of American Indian Physicians.
Read more about Dr. Laura Ann Williams.
For more information about American Indian Health, visit MedlinePlus.
Marjorie Price Wilson, MD — pediatric medicine, administration (government)
Courtesy Norma Spielman Wohl, MD
Although she originally planned to become involved with patient care and research, Dr. Marjorie Price Wilson (1924–1997) enjoyed a successful career as one of the few women in the upper-most ranks of medical administration in the United States. She held posts in academic medicine as well as the U.S. Public Health Service, and served as president and chief executive officer of the commission that evaluates the qualifications of foreign medical graduates seeking further training in the United States.
Read more about Dr. Marjorie Price Wilson.
Mary Ellen Beck Wohl, MD — pediatric medicine, education (teaching), internal medicine (pulmonology)
Courtesy Courtesy Vermont Historical Society
Dr. Mary Ellen Beck Wohl (1932–2009) was associate director of the general clinical research center at Children’s Hospital Boston, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. Since the 1960s, when she first joined the university, Dr. Wohl specialized in the respiratory diseases of children and was a leader in the field of clinical research on cystic fibrosis. She developed a number of tests to evaluate the function of the lungs in young children.
Read more about Dr. Mary Ellen Beck Wohl.
For more information about cystic fibrosis, visit MedlinePlus.
Norma Spielman Wohl, MD — psychiatry (child and adolescent)
Courtesy Stephanie Joan Woolhandler, MD, MPH, photograph by Koby-Antupit Photographers
In the 1970s, Dr. Norma Spielman Wohl (b. 1920) became interested the growing phenomenon of cult groups. As well as her work to promote better understanding of cults in the medical profession, she consulted and treated families who needed assistance.
Read more about Dr. Norma Spielman Wohl.
Stephanie Joan Woolhandler, MD — education (teaching), public health (social medicine), internal medicine
Courtesy Photographs and Prints Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations
Dr. Stephanie J. Woolhandler (b. 1951) has advocated for guaranteed access to health care for all members of society, including the Americans currently without medical insurance. In 1986, she helped found Physicians for a National Health Program, a not-for-profit organization for physicians, medical students, and other health care professionals who advocate a national health insurance program.
Read more about Dr. Stephanie Joan Woolhandler.
For information about financial assistance for health care, visit MedlinePlus.
Jane Cooke Wright, MD — education (teaching), research (oncology)
Courtesy National Library of Medicine, Images from the History of Medicine
Dr. Jane Wright (1919–2013) analyzed a wide range of anti-cancer agents, explored the relationship between patient and tissue culture response, and developed new techniques for administering cancer chemotherapy. By 1967, she was the highest ranking African American woman in a United States medical institution.
Read more about Dr. Jane Cooke Wright.
For more information about chemotherapy, visit MedlinePlus.
Terri L. Young, MD — education (teaching), pediatric medicine (ophthalmology)
Courtesy Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College
Pediatric ophthalmologist Dr. Terri L. Young (b. 1959) has researched the molecular genetics of myopia to help find better treatments for eye disorders. She has been an associate professor of ophthalmology and pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Ophthalmic Genetics Research Center of the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania.
Read more about Dr. Terri L. Young.
For more information about eye disorders, visit MedlinePlus.
Marie E. Zakrzewska, MD — obstetrics and gynecology
Courtesy Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College
In 1862, Dr. Marie Zakrzewska (1829–1902) opened doors to women physicians who were excluded from clinical training opportunities at male-run hospitals by establishing the New England Hospital for Women and Children. It was the first hospital in Boston, and the second hospital in America, run by women.
Read more about Dr. Marie E. Zakrzewska
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