In 1849, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the United States to receive a medical degree. Her birthday, February 3rd, now honors the contributions and achievements of female physicians and acknowledges ongoing efforts to achieve gender equality in healthcare.

Elizabeth Blackwell began her medical education during a time when no medical schools for women existed. After being accepted to Geneva Medical College in New York due to a misunderstanding, she took advantage of the opportunity and, upon her graduation, she co-founded the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children. Here, she not only aided low-income patients facing healthcare disparities, but trained new generations of female doctors.

In 1848, Boston Female Medical College opened with just 12 students. In 2017, for the first time in history, U.S medical schools saw more women entering than men, marking a notable shift in women’s educational trends in medicine. However, this increase in female medical students is not reflective of the physician workforce as a whole, and increasing gender diversity in healthcare continues to be an important topic of discussion today.

Holidays like National Women Physician’s Day allow the healthcare community to reflect on the countless impacts of women in medicine. Take a moment to thank a female physician today on this day!

For further information on National Women Physician’s Day or to learn more about women in medicine, visit the American Medical Association.