Agnes Yewande Savage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Agnes Yewande Savage
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| Born | 21 February 1906 Edinburgh, Scotland
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| Died | 1964 (aged 57–58) |
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| Occupation | Physician |
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| Relatives | Richard Gabriel Akinwande Savage (brother) |
Agnes Yewande Savage (born February 21, 1906 – died 1964) was a Nigerian medical doctor. She was the first woman from West Africa to train and become a doctor in modern medicine. Agnes Savage also made history as the first West African woman to earn a university degree in medicine. She graduated with top honors from the University of Edinburgh in 1929 when she was just 23 years old. A few years later, in 1933, Edna Elliott-Horton became the second West African woman to graduate from university, earning a degree in liberal arts.
Life Story
Early Life and School
Agnes Savage was born on February 21, 1906, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her father, Richard Akinwande Savage Sr, was a Nigerian medical doctor and newspaper publisher who had also studied in Edinburgh. Her mother, Maggie S. Bowie, was a Scottish woman. Agnes's brother, Richard Gabriel Akinwande Savage, also became a doctor after studying in Edinburgh.
In 1919, Agnes passed exams to get into the Royal College of Music. She also received a scholarship to study at George Watson's Ladies College. There, she won an award for being excellent in her classwork and passed the Scottish Higher Education Leaving Certificate.
She then went on to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh. She was an amazing student. In her fourth year of medical school, she earned top honors in all her subjects. She also won a prize in skin diseases and a medal in forensic medicine. She was the first woman in the history of Edinburgh University to achieve these honors. In 1929, she was given the Dorothy Gilfillan Memorial Prize for being the best woman graduate.
Medical Career and Impact
After graduating, Agnes Savage faced challenges because she was a woman and Black. She joined the colonial medical service in the Gold Coast (which is now Ghana). Even though she was more qualified than many male doctors, she received fewer benefits.
In 1931, the headmaster of Achimota School, Alec Garden Fraser, asked her to join his staff. He convinced the government to give her a better contract. Agnes worked at Achimota for four years as a doctor and a teacher. While there, she met Susan de Graft-Johnson, who was a student. Susan often worked with Agnes in the school's sick bay. Later, Susan also studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and became Ghana's first female doctor. Another important West African woman doctor, Matilda J. Clerk, also studied at Achimota and Edinburgh. She became the first Ghanaian woman to win a university scholarship and was the second female doctor in Ghana.
After her time at Achimota, Agnes Savage returned to the colonial medical service. She was given a better role, overseeing clinics for babies and young children connected to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. At the same time, she was an assistant doctor in the hospital's maternity department and managed the nurses' living quarters. At Korle-Bu, she helped set up a training school for nurses, called the Korle-Bu Nurses Training College. A ward there was even named in her honor.
Later Life
Agnes Savage retired from her medical career in 1947. She moved back to Scotland and spent the rest of her life raising her niece and nephew. She passed away in 1964.
See also
In Spanish: Agnes Yewande Savage para niños
