Elizabeth Blackwell: Medicine And Women's Rights

Elizabeth Blackwell was notably one of the most influential people to both medicine and women’s rights. Although her most famous achievement was being the first woman to graduate from medical school, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell's accomplishments did not end there, she devoted her life to helping others-both in healing and in education, and also with the help of colleagues founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children. She was one of the most influential women of her time.
Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to graduate from medical school. After being rejected from multiple schools, she was finally accepted into the Geneva Medical College (Markel). Although it must have been very difficult, Elisabeth’s headstrong attitude pushed

through, and since then she has greatly influenced many people. After graduating from medical school, she became the first woman in America to earn the M.D. degree. She helped pave the way for women in the professions (Kline). She founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children, and traveled across Europe. While in Europe, she discovered the London School of Medicine with the help of other pioneering women physicians. One of her biggest medical accomplishments was setting hygiene standards for medical practitioners everywhere. Elizabeth organized, and worked with the United States Sanitary Commission, and without her many people may have died just because of the unsanitary conditions in hospitals. Had she not achieved this accomplishment, who knows where many people would be today. She traveled back to Europe multiple times, to encourage other women to become physicians, and while there, she helped establish the London School of Medicine for Women. Had Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell not been the accomplished and headstrong woman that she was, many accomplishments in the medical field may not have been achieved until much later.
While Dr. Blackwell was very accomplished in the medical field, she was also one of the most important pioneer women’s rights activists. She continued efforts to open up the medical field for women; Blackwell along with her sister Emily founded their own infirmary, named the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children. During the American Civil War, Blackwell trained many women to be nurses and sent them to the Union Army (Famous Scientists). Blackwell accomplished so much that helped the women’s rights, and civil right movement proceed. Elizabeth had ties to the women’s rights movement from its earliest days. She was proudly proclaimed as a pioneer for women in medicine as early as the Adjourned Convention in Rochester, New York in, two weeks after the First Woman’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls (Famous Scientists). She was not only a women’s rights activist she was also a civil rights activist, and wanted equality for everyone. Her many achievements in equality influenced the start of women’s and civil rights. Without her many achievements in equality may not have started until much later.
Elizabeth Blackwell was a very accomplished woman, and had an assortment of achievements in her lifetime. Women and medical professionals everywhere look up to her, and are influenced by her because of her many achievements. She set hygiene standards everywhere, and it has greatly influenced the medical profession. She has also greatly influenced the women’s rights and civil rights movement. She achieved many accomplishments in helping women and other obtain equality. She has influenced many people everywhere, and people everywhere look up to her. Blackwell’s many achievements are still inspiring and influencing people everywhere today.