Page 45 - To Dragma October 1930

ANUARY, 1930 43

Sn the Professional World

in <^M 8<D I C I <7^8

It is encouraging to note what women have acomplished under un-
avorable conditions. Thirty-four women holding the M . D . degree are
ncluded in Who's Who for 1929, making nearly 2 per cent of the pro-
ession represented there. Sixteen of these women distinguished them-
selves for services toward child welfare, or toward the health of women,
or as writers and lecturers on hygiene, especially as concerning women and
children. Among these sixteen are Dr. S. Josephine Baker, director of
he Bureau of Child Hygiene, and Dr. Alice Hamilton, who is an authority
on industrial diseases, and has studied especially the health of the woman
worker. Six women have been outstanding as practitioners of gynecology
and obstetrics, which are concerned exclusively with women patients.
Five have done notable work in psychiatry, showing humanity and wis-
dom in their care for the mentally sick. Four are distinguished as scien-
ists. One of these four is Dr. Florence Sabin, now of the Rockefeller
nstitute, whose researches in histology have placed her among the fore-
most anatomists. She is ranked among the twelve outstanding women of
America. One woman is recognized as a specialist in ear, nose, and
hroat surgery, and has attained her place competing equally with men.
The remaining women are recognized less for their medical contributions
han for their prominence in non-medical fields. Women physicians both
at home and abroad performed valuable services during the World War
or which many were individually honored.

Looking over the brief facts in the history of these women, one is im-
pressed by the struggle which the medical degree must have been to
many of them, for they were past thirty before the degree was gained.
t also appears that many of the degrees were received from small medical
chools, since women were excluded from the better equipped schools
until recently. I f women have accomplished so much with the preju-
dices and material obstacles to success existing in the last generations,
heir expectations for a future in medicine are bright.

A medical education is long and expensive, but not difficult to a
woman prepared to devote herself to it. At least two years of college
raining are required, and four years are desirable and even required by
ome schools. The medical course embraces four years of work. The
irst two are usually referred to as the pre-clinical, and this time is de-
voted to the basic medical sciences, Anatomy, Pathology, Physiology,
nd Pharmacology. The last two years are spent in studies directly con •
erned with the patient. Most schools confer the M . D . degree at the
end of this time, though some withhold it until the hospital service is
ompleted. With the M . D . degree in most states one is eligible for the
State Board Examination, and a license to practice, though some states