Sophia Jex-Blake
-
Standard Name: Jex-Blake, Sophia
Birth Name: Sophia Louisa Jex-Blake
In a society that valued modesty, where women refrained from seeking treatment from male doctors for some medical problems,
saw a need for women doctors. Through extensive conflict, she became the third woman to have her name on the British Medical Registry. However, unlike
, who sought education in America, and
, who received her degree through regulatory loopholes that soon closed,
directly pressured the universities and parliament, through her writings and through direct action, to admit women to both medical education and the practice of medicine. Her published works include essays on medical history and medical practice, on infection and childcare, and powerful arguments for ending the male monopoly. Her success paved the way for women to become doctors in England and Scotland on the same formal terms as men.