New England Female Medical College facts for kids
New England Female Medical College in 1860
|
|
|
Other name
|
NEFMC |
|---|---|
| Active | 1848–1874 (merged into Boston University School of Medicine) |
| Founder | Samuel Gregory |
| Location | , , |
The New England Female Medical College (NEFMC) was a very important school. It was first called the Boston Female Medical College. It started in 1848 thanks to Samuel Gregory. This college was the first school ever to train women in medicine. In 1874, it joined with Boston University to become the Boston University School of Medicine.
Contents
History of the College
Before 1847, women were not allowed to study medicine in most places. Many women, like Harriot Kezia Hunt, helped people as family doctors. But they could not go to medical classes or take exams.
Then, in 1847, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to join a medical school in the United States. She went to the Geneva Medical College. Elizabeth Blackwell showed that women could be great doctors. She helped open doors for other women in medicine.
Starting a School for Women
In 1848, a group called the American Medical Education Society formed in Boston. Their goal was to help women get medical training. They later changed their name to the Female Medical Education Society. This name showed that they focused only on women's education.
The state of Massachusetts officially recognized the Society in 1850. The first classes were held in the home of Dr. Winslow Lewis. He was the president of the Boylston Medical School. The Society wanted to create a medical school in Boston. They also hoped to have their own hospital. This school would teach women how to be midwives and nurses. They would mainly treat women and children. By 1852, this school was known as the New England Female Medical College.
Even though it was a time when women had fewer rights, many people supported the college. They believed it gave women a good and proper job in healthcare.
Early Challenges and Growth
In 1851, the Female Medical Education Society talked about joining with another school. This was the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania (later called the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania). For a short time, they even shared teachers.
Both schools debated which one was "the first" women's medical school. The Pennsylvania school got its official approval a month before NEFMC. However, it did not start teaching until 1850. NEFMC began its regular classes in late 1848. Because it started teaching first, NEFMC is now known as the first school in the U.S. to offer medical training only for women.
In 1855, the Massachusetts government gave the college ten thousand dollars. This money was for new college buildings. The Female Medical Education Society also aimed to build a hospital with the college. They wanted to raise one hundred thousand dollars for this.
On May 27, 1857, the Female Medical Education Society officially became the New England Female Medical College. The Society's members became the college's Trustees.
In 1863, the college asked the City Council for land near the hospital. They wanted to build a place for students to practice. The city agreed and gave them the land for a very low price.
In 1870, the New England Female Medical College got its own building. It was on a lot between East Concord and Stoughton Streets. This was after 22 years of the school existing. However, the school faced money problems. After 26 years, the college had given medical degrees to 98 women. In 1874, it joined with Boston University. It became the Boston University School of Medicine, which allowed both men and women.
Why the School Started
The main reason the New England Female Medical College was founded was a strong belief. Many people thought that male doctors should not help with childbirth. The founder, Samuel Gregory, called male help in childbirth "man-midwifery." He thought it was unnatural and wrong. He believed women should get proper medical training. This would allow them to become certified midwives and care for other women.
Gregory argued that the U.S. was the only country where women relied on men for help during childbirth. He felt that male midwives made women feel uncomfortable. He wanted midwifery to be a job only for women. At that time, many people thought that dividing medical jobs between men and women would make healthcare better. They thought women should handle childbirth. Gregory believed midwifery was a simple task that women could do well. He also thought it was too simple for male doctors. He felt men should focus on other medical areas that needed more complex thinking.
Gregory also believed that women would be less likely to use strong medicines or tools during childbirth. He thought they would let nature take its course and comfort patients. He hoped this would lead to fewer deaths during childbirth.
Even though his ideas were new and some found them controversial, Gregory gained support. People like Lemuel Shattuck and Harriet Beecher Stowe helped him. The Female Medical Education Society also supported the idea. They wanted to train women as midwives, nurses, and doctors. Many people believed women were naturally good at being midwives because of their caring nature.
Students at NEFMC
The first classes started on November 1, 1848. There were twelve students from different states like New England, New York, and Ohio. In the next few years, the number of students grew to over fifty. By 1852, the school's name changed to the New England Female Medical College.
On November 9, 1859, the Ladies' Medical Academy opened. It had a free clinic and was connected to the school in Boston. This academy aimed to teach women about medicine, nursing, and midwifery. It also trained female doctors. In 1860, the Ladies' Medical Academy gave Doctor of Medicine degrees to four women. Two women also received Diplomas in Midwifery. By 1861, there were about forty students. The Ladies Medical Academy soon became part of the New England Female Medical College.
Over its 27 years, more than 300 women attended classes. About 98 women earned their medical degrees. On average, fewer than five students graduated each year. To graduate, students needed to have studied medicine before. They also had to attend NEFMC for two years. Finally, they had to write a thesis and pass a final exam.
Most of the school's money came from donations. This allowed many students to study there. The Massachusetts State Scholarship Fund helped 40 students each year. This grant was approved in 1854 and lasted for five years. All women who applied and had a good basic education could get scholarships. Without a scholarship, tuition was $25 per term. Room and board cost $2 per week.
In 1905, a list of all 98 graduates was published by Harvey King.
Famous Graduates
- Dr. Rebecca Davis Lee Crumpler graduated in 1864. She was the first African American woman to earn a medical degree.
- Dr. Mary Harris Thompson graduated in 1863. She later started the Chicago Hospital for Women and Children.
- Dr Esther Hill Hawks graduated in 1857.
- Dr. Lucy W. Abell started studying in 1857. She was one of the first homeopathic doctors in Massachusetts.
- Dr. Helen Morton graduated in 1862. She became a doctor who helped with childbirth in Paris and Boston.
Teachers at NEFMC
From 1848 until the mid-1850s, the college had two teachers. Their lessons focused mostly on midwifery. In later years, the classes and the teaching staff grew. There were five to seven teachers who gave students a full medical education. This education was similar to what other medical schools offered at the time.
The money from the 1854 Massachusetts government grant helped students with tuition. It also helped pay the six professors who worked at the New England Female Medical College.
One very important teacher was Dr. Maria Zakrzewska. She believed that young women should study medicine. She thought they should do so because they had a natural interest and talent for it. She also believed they should love the science of medicine.
However, some people, including some teachers, thought NEFMC was not as good as medical schools for men. For example, Samuel Gregory thought scientific tools were not very important for doctors. He believed a doctor's job was to treat a sick person. But others, like Dr. Zakrzewska, thought these tools were important for studying diseases. They saw medicine as a science. Dr. Zakrzewska left the college because she disagreed with Gregory's ideas. She felt that some teachers focused too much on just curing diseases. She wanted them to teach students the scientific basics of medicine.
