First, Fearless and Foundational
Celebrating the Women Physicians Who Made History — and Made Way for Others
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we honor the courageous women in medicine who dared to challenge the status quo and reimagine what was possible. Guided by unwavering conviction and a deep commitment to serve, they advanced groundbreaking science while embodying compassion, resilience, and visionary leadership. Because they went first, generations of physicians have followed. Here, we spotlight just a few of the remarkable women who opened doors and created a legacy that continues to shape medicine today.
Elizabeth Blackwell - 1821-1910
First woman in the United States to earn a medical degree.
Hattie Alexander - 1901-1968
First woman to head a national medical organization - President of the American Pediatric Society.
Carola B. Eisenberg - 1917-2021
First woman Dean of Students at both MIT and Harvard Medical School.
Barbara Barlow - born 1938
First woman to train in pediatric surgery at Babies Hospital, Columbia‑Presbyterian.
Florence Sabin - 1871-1953
First woman elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Virginia Apgar - 1909-1974
First woman to achieve full professorship at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Mildred Jefferson - 1926-2010
First African American woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School.
Mary‑Claire King - born 1946
First to demonstrate that breast cancer could be inherited via the BRCA1 gene.