Ada Blackwell

First woman to earn a medical degree in the British Empire

Dr. Ada Blackwell (1821–1910) shattered gender barriers by graduating from London's Royal College of Physicians in 1859. Despite laws barring women from medical schools, she persuaded professors to let her attend lectures disguised as a man, later winning legal recognition through parliamentary petition.

Her achievements:

Blackwell pioneered public health initiatives, establishing free clinics for impoverished women. She campaigned against Victorian-era medical myths like 'wandering womb' theories, advocating evidence-based gynecology. Her textbook The Laws of Life (1852) became standard reading for female health educators.

Today, over 50% of UK medical students are women—a direct legacy of Blackwell's activism. The University of Edinburgh's Medical School erected a statue in her honor in 2019.