Meret Ptah

World's first recorded female physician in ancient Egypt

Meret Ptah (c. 2700 BCE) appears in tomb inscriptions as "Chief Physician" during Egypt's Second Dynasty – a remarkable achievement in male-dominated ancient society. Her existence challenges assumptions about women's roles in early medicine, predating famous Greek physicians like Hippocrates by 2,000 years.

Key aspects of her legacy:

• First named woman in medical history
• Evidence of formal medical training system
• Practiced when Egyptian medicine combined herbal remedies with spiritual rituals

While details are scarce, Meret Ptah's title suggests she supervised male physicians and possibly treated royalty. Modern parallels include the Edwin Smith Papyrus, showing advanced Egyptian surgical knowledge. Her story inspires efforts to recover women's contributions to STEM fields, as discussed in historical research.

Though overshadowed by later figures like Peseshet (4th Dynasty midwife), Meret Ptah remains a symbol of women breaking barriers in science millennia before modern feminism.