Josefa Zaratt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Josefa Zaratt
Dr. Zarrat in staff portrait of Douglass Hospital
Born	March 19, 1871 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Died	August 4, 1962(1962-08-04) (aged 91) Bronx, New York
Alma mater	Tufts University School of Medicine
Occupation	Doctor

Josefa Zaratt (also spelled Zarratt) was a pioneering doctor. She was born on March 19, 1871, and passed away on August 4, 1962. She made history as one of the very first African-American women to graduate from Tufts University School of Medicine. Finding information about her and other women like her was difficult. School records helped piece together her story.

During Josefa's time, it was very hard for African-American women to attend medical school. Many had to travel from the southern United States to the northern states to find schools that would accept them. Even in the North, schools were often separated by race.

Scholarships were usually not given to women of color. Even when African-American women applied, they were often turned down because of their skin color. It is thought that African-American women who got into medical school often had more education than white women. This was because they needed to be extra qualified to get one of the few spots available to them.

After graduating, the challenges continued. It was even harder for African-American women to find internships and jobs. Jobs were rare, even in the northern parts of the country. Some patients would also refuse to be treated by a female African-American doctor. They had the choice to turn down care from them.

The very first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States was Elizabeth Blackwell in 1849. Just four years later, the first African-American woman received her medical degree.

A Doctor's Journey

Josefa Zaratt moved back to her home in Puerto Rico and started practicing medicine around 1906. However, she could not get her medical license recognized there. Because of this, she returned to the United States.

Zaratt was one of the brave women who helped open doors for African-American women in medicine. There were only a few of these women, but each one played a very important part in changing history.

In 1910, she worked at Douglass Hospital in Philadelphia. By 1923, she was practicing medicine in Springfield, Massachusetts. Josefa Zaratt passed away on August 4, 1962, at Fordham Hospital in the Bronx, New York.