Plans for a Hospital
Elizabeth had grander plans, an actual hospital where women could work and treat others(DISCovering Bio.). Almost every hospital had banned women from working in them and Blackwell wanted to change this and her best solution was to build her own hospital to help train other women(Binns52)
In 1854 Elizabeth met Marie Zakrzewska who was a German midwife who had been chief midwife at a hospital in Berlin(Gale). She had immigrated to the United States to further her career in medicine and was given Blackwell's name. Blackwell took her in, giving her English lesson, and helping her acquire her M.D by getting her into the Western Reserve College("Dr. Marie E. Zakrzewska.")
Elizabeth had grander plans, an actual hospital where women could work and treat others(DISCovering Bio.). Almost every hospital had banned women from working in them and Blackwell wanted to change this and her best solution was to build her own hospital to help train other women(Binns52)
In 1854 Elizabeth met Marie Zakrzewska who was a German midwife who had been chief midwife at a hospital in Berlin(Gale). She had immigrated to the United States to further her career in medicine and was given Blackwell's name. Blackwell took her in, giving her English lesson, and helping her acquire her M.D by getting her into the Western Reserve College("Dr. Marie E. Zakrzewska.")
I have at last found a student in whom I can take a great deal of interest- Marie Zackrezewska, a German about twenty-six...There is true stuff in her, I shall do my best to bring it out. She must obtain a medical degree..."(Blackwell201) "The cordiality with which she welcomed me as a co-worker, I can never describe or forget... All the days of disappointment were instantly forgotten"(Binns48) Marie writing about Blackwell |
Once Emily and Marie returned from gaining their M.D.'s and experience in 1856, they worked with Blackwell in planning and raising money for the hospital.(DISCovering Bio.) They needed enough money to rent a house to adapt it into a small hospital. Finally on May 12, 1857, they opened the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children(DISCovering Bio...) Elizabeth became the director, Emily the surgeon and Marie the resident physician(Binns 52).
They chose their location on Bleecker Street, near many poor immigrant people who needed help(Binns52). The third floor of the Infirmary was a maternity ward. The second floor was split into two wards, each having six beds. Downstairs was a waiting room and examination rooms.And one of the bedrooms became an operation room because it had a large window. The attic of the house was were the students lived and where Marie lived(Boyd163).
The doctors did a lot more than just diagnosing patients at the Infirmary. They had to test the students, plan,buy and make meals, fund-raise, do the administrative work and buy the medicine. In addition to the Infirmary they all saw patients in the dispensary(Binns53)
They faced fierce opposition and a small riot when their first patient died. People threw rocks and shouted "Female doctors are killers"(DISCovering Bio.). Once a male doctor came and examined the body and said that they couldn't have done anything to save the patient, the crowd left(Binns53)
The doctors did a lot more than just diagnosing patients at the Infirmary. They had to test the students, plan,buy and make meals, fund-raise, do the administrative work and buy the medicine. In addition to the Infirmary they all saw patients in the dispensary(Binns53)
They faced fierce opposition and a small riot when their first patient died. People threw rocks and shouted "Female doctors are killers"(DISCovering Bio.). Once a male doctor came and examined the body and said that they couldn't have done anything to save the patient, the crowd left(Binns53)
Eight months after opening, nurses started training there, becoming the first nursing school in the U.S. The nursing course was four months long and was free for anyone(Binns55).
The Infirmary was a huge success, treating 866 patients during its first year. It kept growing every year treating more and more patients and had more doctors on staff. The Infirmary Elizabeth, Emily and Marie created still exists today as the New York University Downtown Hospital who strive to "build on the tradition of caring for women"(Binns55). |
First, to afford an opportunity for the medical treatment of women and children by women physicians. |
Medical School created
Blackwell decided to create a women's medical college attached to the infirmary. Many women who trained at the Infirmary could not get into medical college, because most were not accepting women and were still against it.("That Girl There..")
"We took this step,however, with hesitation, for our own feelings was adverse to the for the formation of an entirely separate school for women"(Binns74)
In 1865, the infirmary applied for permission for a medical school and started to raise funds(Binns74) In November of 1868, the Women's Medical College of the New York Infirmary finally opened(Girl). It was the first school entirely devoted to the medical education of women(DISCovering Bio.).
This medical school ran under a different and better philosophy. Students had to
attend for three years instead of the standard two,and would have hands-on lessons. Blackwell believed that doctors need more knowledge to be able to diagnose patients.(Binns74)
This medical school ran under a different and better philosophy. Students had to
attend for three years instead of the standard two,and would have hands-on lessons. Blackwell believed that doctors need more knowledge to be able to diagnose patients.(Binns74)
Elizabeth became the first professor of hygiene ever at the college, giving it equal importance to other subjects(DISCovering Bio..). Emily was the professor of obstetrics and women's disease. The infirmary had six other teachers, five being men("That Girl There...")
|
"It has always seemed to me... that the first and constant aim of the family physican should be to[give]... the sanitary knowledge that would enable parents to bring up health children" Blackwell (Binns7) |
Even more changes were created to the education of the women at the college. The examination board that gave the final exam had no college staff on it , and was harder than any other college. Training also increased to four years, a huge step in increasing the medical training(Binns77)The school became the first to mandate four years of study(DISCovering Bio.)( Blackwell wanted to produce the best-qualified doctors ever and both experts and the public saw that(Binns77). Additionally the fist African American women to become a doctor, Rebecca Cole was one of the first graduates at the college(DISCovering Bio)
The Women's Medical school stayed open until 1899 when Cornell started allowing women to study there(Binns77).