Catharine Macfarlane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Catharine Macfarlane
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| Education | Johns Hopkins University |
| Medical career | |
| Institutions | Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania Women's Hospital in Philadelphia American Cancer Society’s Philadelphia Division |
| Awards | Strittmatter Award Gimbel Award Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania Award Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research Elizabeth Blackwell Citation from the Trustees of the New York Infirmary Mary Silberman Award |
Catharine Macfarlane (1877–1969) was an important American doctor. She was an obstetrician, which means she helped women with pregnancy and childbirth. She was also a gynecologist, a doctor who specializes in women's health. Dr. Macfarlane made history by starting one of the first centers in the United States to check for uterine cancer. She was also the first woman to become a fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and the first woman president of the Obstetrical Society of Philadelphia.
Early Life and Education
Catharine Macfarlane was very smart and started college early. In 1893, when she was just sixteen, she went to the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 1895. By 1898, she had completed her medical degree at the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania. After that, she continued her studies at Johns Hopkins University. From 1898 to 1900, Dr. Macfarlane worked as an intern at the Women's Hospital in Philadelphia, gaining practical experience.
Medical Career and Research
After her internship, Dr. Macfarlane started her own private medical practice in 1900. She also taught obstetrics at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. In 1903, she became an instructor of gynecology at the same college. Around this time, she was one of the first doctors to use radium to treat cancer.
Between 1903 and 1905, Dr. Macfarlane continued her studies in different areas of medicine. In 1908, she became the chief of gynecology at Women’s Hospital in Philadelphia. She was also accepted into the American College of Surgeons in 1913. From 1922 to 1942, Dr. Macfarlane was a professor of gynecology at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania.
In 1924, she became the chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Philadelphia General Hospital. She also took on a role as a research professor of gynecology at Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, a position she held for the rest of her life.
One of her biggest achievements came in 1938. Dr. Macfarlane helped create the Cancer Control Research Project at the Woman’s Medical College of Philadelphia. In the same year, she received a special grant to open a clinic for cancer research and prevention. This clinic started the first program in the United States to screen for uterine cancer. This was a huge step in finding cancer early and helping people. Later in her career, in 1962, Dr. Macfarlane also started research on how women could check themselves for breast cancer. She did this with the Philadelphia Division of the American Cancer Society.
Legacy and Awards
Dr. Macfarlane was a leader in the medical community. In 1936, she was appointed to head the Medical Women’s National Association, which is now called the American Medical Women’s Association. A year later, in 1937, she became the Vice President of the Medical Women’s International Association, holding that role until 1947. She also served as the president of the Obstetrical Society of Philadelphia from 1943 to 1944.
Her important work earned her many awards:
- In 1948, she was the first woman to receive the Strittmatter Award.
- In 1949, she was given the Gimbel Award for her humanitarian service.
- In 1951, she received the prestigious Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research. She earned this for her work in using preventive medicine to control cancer.
- In 1953, she received the first annual Mary Silberman Award for her efforts in cancer prevention.
Dr. Catharine Macfarlane's dedication to women's health and cancer prevention left a lasting impact on medicine.
See also
In Spanish: Catharine Macfarlane para niños
