Meet the women who changed medicine and made huge strides, even if they didn’t always get the recognition they deserved.
Throughout history, there have been incredible people in medicine who’ve made life-changing discoveries but never got the recognition they deserved. From women breaking barriers to unsung heroes whose ideas changed how we treat diseases, these pioneers helped shape modern healthcare. It’s time we give them the credit they’ve always deserved! Let’s look at some of the most overlooked figures who’ve been saving lives without the spotlight.
Rebecca Lee Crumpler was a real trailblazer—she was the first African American woman to get a medical degree in the U.S. back in 1864. She focused on helping people who needed care and even wrote a book called A Book of Medical Discourses in 1883. Her work was groundbreaking and still inspires people today.
Gerty Cori was an amazing biochemist who, with her husband Carl, won the Nobel Prize in 1947 for discovering the Cori cycle. This discovery shows how our bodies turn glycogen into glucose, which is super important for understanding things like diabetes. Even though Gerty did incredible work, she didn’t always get the credit she deserved and faced some tough challenges. Despite this, she pushed through and made incredible impacts on biochemistry, proving her dedication and brilliance in the field.
Mary Edwards Walker was a pioneering physician and fierce advocate for women’s rights. She was the only woman ever to win the Medal of Honour, thanks to her groundbreaking work as a surgeon. She wasn’t afraid to cross boundaries, whether it was treating patients or challenging fashion norms by wearing trousers. Despite the criticism she faced, her dedication to medicine and women's rights made a huge difference, and her legacy is finally getting the recognition it deserves.
Gertrude Belle Elion won the Nobel Prize for her work in creating important medicines. She helped develop treatments for serious health issues and even helped make the first drug to prevent organ rejection. Even though she didn’t have a formal doctorate, her curiosity and hard work led to major breakthroughs in medicine. Her story is a great example of how creativity and perseverance can lead to incredible discoveries that make a big difference in people's lives.
Rosalyn Yalow was an outstanding scientist who developed a groundbreaking technique called radioimmunoassay (RIA). This innovation earned her a Nobel Prize in 1977 and helped doctors make better diagnoses and treatments for various conditions. Even though her work was incredibly important, she didn’t always get as much recognition as some of her male colleagues. Yalow’s contributions not only advanced science but also demonstrated that women can make huge strides in challenging fields.
Marian Diamond was a brilliant neuroscientist who made amazing discoveries about how our brains can adapt and change. She studied how different experiences and environments affect brain growth, including looking at Albert Einstein's brain. Her work showed that our brains can keep growing and changing, even as we get older. Although she made huge strides in understanding the brain, her contributions aren't as well-known as they should be. Diamond's research has helped us learn more about how our brains develop and work.
Also, Susan La Flesche Picotte, Jane Cooke Wright, and Audrey S. Penn are key pioneers who made significant changes in medicine.
