HISTORY SECTION FIRST FEMALE DOCTOR
Indep Rev July-Aug 2014;16(7-9)
IR-330
HISTORY SECTION: FIRST FEMALE DOCTOR
Dr. Awais Shuja
MBBS, FRCS
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Independent Medical College,
Faisalabad.
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Awais Shuja
MBBS, FRCS
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Independent Medical College,
Faisalabad.
Article received on:
14/07/2014
Accepted for Publication:
16/07/2014
Received after proof reading:
25/09/2014
Article Citation: Shuja A, History section: First Female Doctor. Indep Rev July-Sep 2014;16(7-9): 208-212.
Key Concepts
• Role of women in medicine
• First female physician
• First doctor on general medical council
• First female only medical college
Abstract
Human civilization has progressed since its inception. The progress has been variable for both genders. Medicine has
been a no go area for females for centuries. Merit Ptah (2700 BC), described in an inscription as “chief physician”, is
the earliest woman named in the history of science. Agamede was cited by Homer as a healer in Greece before the
Trojan War. Agnodike was the first female physician to practice legally in 4th century BC Athens. Historically and in
many parts of the world, women’s participation in the profession of medicine (as physicians, for instance) has been
significantly restricted, although women’s practice of medicine, informally, in the role of caregivers, or in the allied
health professions, has been widespread.
Key words: Merit Ptah, Kadambini, Elizabeth Blackwell, Fatima Jinnah Medical College.
Human civilization has progressed since its
inception. The progress has been variable for
both genders. Medicine has been a no go area
for females for centuries. It took 2000 years
from Egyptian civilization to first lady doctor
in North America and Europe. This discrimination is due to social, cultural and sometimes religious reasons. The involvement
of women in the field of medicine has been
recorded in several early civilizations.
In a time long ago, there lived a lady who was
well ahead of her time in the field of medicine. Her name was Dr Merit-Ptah and she
is probably the world’s first known female
physician, living in ancient Egypt in 2700 BC.
Indep Rev July-Sep 2014;16(7-9) 208-212.
Little has been discovered about the scope of
her work, but all the evidence suggests that
she did practice medicine and was also one
of the first documented women in science.
Egyptian, Merit Ptah (2700 BC), described in
an inscription as “chief physician”, is the earliest woman named in the history of science.
Agamede was cited by Homer as a healer in
Greece before the Trojan War. Agnodike was
the first female physician to practice legally
in 4th century BC Athens. Metrodora was a
physician and generally regarded as the first
medical writer.
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HISTORY SECTION FIRST FEMALE DOCTOR
Ancient Female Physician
Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to
qualify as a doctor in America and the first
woman to have her name entered in the British General Medical Council’s medical register in 1859.
2
nately Samuel died in 1838 leaving his wife
and nine children in financial difficulties. After his death, Elizabeth and her sisters began
teaching and set up a school to provide the
family with financial stability. When a family
friend became terminally ill and claimed she
would have received more considerate treatment from a female doctor, Elizabeth became
determined to train as a physician.
She applied to numerous medical colleges
and was rejected by all but one, Geneva Medical College in New York. The faculty, assuming that the all-male student body would
never agree to a woman joining their ranks,
allowed them to vote on her admission. As a
joke, they voted “yes,” and she gained admittance in 1847. Two years later, after facing
much resentment and prejudice, Elizabeth
Blackwell became the first woman to receive
an M.D. degree from an American medical
school.
Elizabeth Blackwell died in Hastings on 31
May 1910. She was a pioneer, instrumental in
many campaigns for reform, launching many
innovative health schemes and a tireless
worker for health care.
Dr Elizabeth Blackwell
Born in Bristol in 1821 to Hannah and Samuel
Blackwell, Elizabeth and family emigrated to
America when she was 11 years old. UnfortuIndep Rev July-Sep 2014;16(7-9) 208-212.
Across the world in the Indian subcontinent
the women were also progressing and competing in all feilds of life.KadambiniGanguly
was one of the first female graduates of the
British Empire along with ChandramukhiBasu. She was also one of the first female
physicians of South Asia to be trained in
western medicine.Kadambini started her education at BangaMahilaVidyalaya and while
at Bethune School (established by Bethune)
in 1878 became the first woman to pass the
University of Calcutta entrance examination.
It was partly in recognition of her efforts that
Bethune College first introduced FA (First
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HISTORY SECTION FIRST FEMALE DOCTOR
Arts), and then graduation courses in 1883.
She and ChandramukhiBasu became the first
graduates from Bethune College, and in the
process became the first female graduates in
the country and in the entire British Empire.1
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society. She went to the United Kingdom in
1892 and returned to India after qualifying
as LRCP (Edinburgh), LRCS (Glasgow), and
GFPS (Dublin). After working for a short period in Lady Dufferin Hospital, she started
her own private practice
In the area currently called Pakistan ThePunjab Medical Education and Relief Society
with 100 founder members was formed in
1941 with the aims of Establishing a Medical College for Hindus only. Mrs. BALAK Ram,
daughter in Law of late Sir Ganga Ram and
her son L. Sri Ram who were member of the
society purchased a Bungalow occupied by
LalaHarKishanLal at a cost of Rs. 2,30,000.00
at Queen’s Road to house BALAK Ram Medical College. It started functioning in 1942,
with a batch of 50 Students.
Dr Kadambini Ganguly
Medical education and profession
Ganguly studied medicine at the Calcutta
Medical College. In 1886, she was given a
Graduate of Bengal Medical College degree.
She thus became one of the two, Anandi Gopal
Joshi being the other, Indian women doctors
qualified to practice western medicine. Also
another Indian woman by the name of Abala
Bose passed entrance in 1881 but was refused admission to the medical college and
went to Madras (now Chennai) to study medicine but never graduated.
Kadambini overcame some opposition from
the teaching staff, and orthodox sections of
Indep Rev July-Sep 2014;16(7-9) 208-212.
The BALAK Ram Medical College was fortunate in having as its first auxiliary the newly
built Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Opposite the
College building at the time of independence
it had 125 beds.
Pakistan had to face many problems just after its birth. Health was one of the them and
become more acute in the absence of trained
personnel. The female doctor-patient ratio
become alarming low. As few as 121 register female doctors left 118 in the west wing
and 3 in the east wing giving a ration of about
one woman doctor to 3.7 lakh of woman.
Nurse patient ratio was even worse. Pakistan
was facing the problem which India faced in
1870-1880. This state affair was a challenge
to the female population of the country. The
need of an immediate establishment of an institution to train woman for medical profession was acutely felt by the Government.
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HISTORY SECTION FIRST FEMALE DOCTOR
The two woman medical institution namely
Lady HardingMedical College, New Dehli and
Woman Christian Medical College at Ludhiana were now in India. At a time when both
Pakistan and the west Punjab were in the
midst of a severe crisis, for anyone to have
conceived such a project was really a most
remarkable feat of daring Lt. Col. S.M.K. Mallick, then inspector General of Civil Hospitals,
west Punjab and Dr. Shujaat Ali who was attached to the King Edward Medical College as
Professor of Physiology, devoted their attention to this problem. The Balak Ram Medical
College and its allied hospital presented itself
as the obvious starting point from which to
make a beginning to meet this most pressing
need. However, found in Miss Fatima Jinnah
a supporter whose enthusiasm and encouragement helped them through in the most
difficult planning stage of the college which
was in its infancy stood virtually closed and
its premises were abandoned. However Prof.
Shujaat Ali with the help and assistance of his
other professional colleagues nurtured the
idea of setting up a medical institution for
producing female doctors and trained them
for helping in the health care of the woman
folk of this newly established country. It was
especially felt that, by virtue of cultural and
social setup of a Muslim Society it was much
needed requirement of the time.
Indep Rev July-Sep 2014;16(7-9) 208-212.
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The father of the Nation the late Quaid-eAzam himself gave his blessing and graciously approved the name of his sister to be
associated with this institution. At that time,
the Honorable Prime Mister of Pakistan and
Begum Liaqat Ali Khan were also in Lahore
and when the scheme was placed before them
both of them gave it their whole hearted support. They showed their keen interest in the
project by undertaking an inspection of the
BALAK Ram Medical College and Sir Ganga
Ram hospital and having been convinced of
the feasibility of the scheme extended their
full support. Fatima Jinnah medical College
was at that time the only Medical College for
Women in the Muslim World. The scheme to
establish Women Medical College was approved in March, 1948. Mohtarma Fatima
Jinnah was appointed as Patron-in-Chief of
the college by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali
Jinnah. Fatima Jinnah Medical College admitted its first batch of 39 Students and started
functioning in October 1948. Formal opening ceremony was performed by his Excellency Alhaj Khawaja Nazimuddin Governor
General of Pakistan on Wednesday the 30th
March 1949 at 10:00 a.m. Mohtarma Fatima
Jinnah visited F.J. Medical College in 1949
and then 1950.
At the beginning of the twenty-first century
in industrialized nations, women have made
significant gains, but have yet to achieve
parity throughout the medical profession.
Women have achieved parity in medical
school in some industrialized countries,
since 2003 forming the majority of the United
States medical student body. In 2007-2008,
women accounted for 49% of medical school
applicants and 48.3% of those accepted.
According to the American Association of
Medical Colleges (AAMC) 48.3% (16,838) of
medical degrees awarded in the US in 2009-
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HISTORY SECTION FIRST FEMALE DOCTOR
10 were earned by women, an increase from
26.8% in 1982-3.
Historically and in many parts of the world,
women’s participation in the profession of
medicine (as physicians, for instance) has
been significantly restricted, although women’s practice of medicine, informally, in the
role of caregivers, or in the allied health professions, has been widespread. Most countries of the world now provide women with
equal access to medical education. However
not all countries ensure equal employment
Indep Rev July-Sep 2014;16(7-9) 208-212.
5
opportunities and gender equality has yet to
be achieved within the medical specialties
and around the world.
Reference:
1. Kopf, David (1979), The BrahmoSamaj and the
Shaping of the Modern Indian Mind, Princeton
University Press, ISBN 0-691-03125-8
2. Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), (1976/1998), SansadBangaliCharitabhidhan (Biographical dictionary) in Bengali, pp 79–
80, ISBN 81-85626-65-0
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