Making HERstory: Celebrating The Women Who Became Physicians Before They Could Become Voters
Authors: Jessica Rebaza, MD Candidate, MS; Julia Kooser, MD Candidate; Caroline Hunsaker, MD Candidate
Imagine living in a world where you are deemed intelligent enough to practice medicine but not check off a box on a ballot. That was the cruel reality of women physicians for years. As women studying and practicing medicine during a tumultuous political environment, we must look back at those who came before us—the women who became physicians before they could become voters.
When looking back on the foundation of our nation in 1776, women initially had the right to vote in select states. However, by 1787, women’s rights were restricted as individual states developed their laws. As America expanded, women's voting rights continued to shrink. In this early American society, men dominated politics and further restricted women's right to vote, own property, and earn an income. As the years passed, women suffered the consequences of elections without having a say in the country they were helping build.
After decades of being on the sidelines, women banded together during the mid-1800s to demand their voices be heard. In 1848, at the Seneca Falls Convention, activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted the Declaration of the Rights and Sentiments, which called for women’s right to vote and equality. At the 1851 Ohio Women’s Rights Convention, formerly enslaved woman Sojourner Truth delivered her “Ain’t I A Woman?” speech in response to male opposition. She discusses how women were perceived as demure and weak, but how her experience as an enslaved person forced into arduous and grueling work directly contradicts this sentiment. In 1878, the 19th Amendment was introduced in Congress, calling for women to have the right to vote. It failed several times before finally passing on August 26th, 1920. While this was a victory for some women, others, such as Black and Native American women, were left in the shadows. Even though Black women were granted the right to vote, legislation was passed that put restraints on their abilities to exercise their rights due to their race. It would not be until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that Black voters were protected. Additionally, the 19th Amendment did not apply to Native American women, whose citizenship was still not recognized. In 1924, the Snyder Act was passed, which acknowledges Native Americans as citizens. However, it was not until 1962 that their voting rights were finally guaranteed in every state.
During the above-mentioned time, women fought for their rights to be leaders in their lives, careers, and communities—like Drs. Blackwell, Crumpler, and Le Flesche Picotte. Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, teacher turned physician, was the first woman in the United States to earn a medical doctorate. Although medical colleges existed then, apprenticeship was the predominant pathway to becoming a doctor. Thus, Blackwell found mentorship by two male physicians in the South in hopes of entering a medical college. After numerous rejections, she was accepted into Geneva College in New York, although her acceptance was not taken seriously. Nevertheless, Blackwell graduated medical school in 1849 and had a successful medical career despite intense discrimination. She eventually opened a medical college in New York that educated future American physicians. Similarly, Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first African-American woman to earn a medical degree in 1864. After working as a nurse, she attended the New England Female Medical College, the country's first school dedicated to female physicians' education. Dr. Crumpler devoted her medical career to caring for formerly enslaved people. Finally, the first Native American woman to earn a medical degree was Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte. She attended Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania and graduated valedictorian in three years in 1889. Dr. Le Flesche Picotte then returned to her home state of Nebraska to open a private practice to care for Native Americans. In 1913, she achieved her dream of opening a hospital on a reservation in Walthill, Nebraska.
As medical students and soon-to-be physicians, imagining a world where voting rights and the ability to earn a medical education could be simultaneously withheld from us is unfathomable. Because of this, we are eternally grateful to the women who came before us for making that thought seem like a myth. While the fight for equity is still upon us, we hold onto the power these women had to lead us forward. In this upcoming election, we dedicate our votes to the past, current, and future women physicians who are leaders in the patient room and voting booth.
About the Authors: Jessica Rebaza, MD Candidate, MS, CHES is an incoming first year family medicine resident at Novant Health in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was the former 2021 WIM Social Media Fellow and is currently the Director of Social Media & Outreach for Civic Health Alliance. Within medicine, she is passionate about addressing Latino health disparities, breastfeeding medicine and preventative health.
Julia Kooser is a 2nd year medical school student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. She is interested in pursuing a career as a Medicine-Pediatrics physician, and providing care for people with chronic conditions, as they transition through childhood, adolescence, and becoming an adult. Julia now works as a Civic Health Alliance ambassador. As a part of this program, she encourages voting in the healthcare setting, and collaborates with other medical students to increase voting rates within the hospital and outpatient clinic. As voting allows people to elect officials who best represent their interests, Julia is very invested in promoting voting within her community and addressing barriers to people being able to exercise this right.
Caroline Hunsaker is a 1st year medical student at St. Louis University School of Medicine and a student ambassador for Civic Health Alliance. After college, she moved to Chicago where she joined AmeriCorps, participating in City Year. City Year is a program that allowed. After gaining a deeper understanding of the complex issues underserved communities face, Caroline recognized the importance of voting to help contribute to a more just and equitable society.
