DeepSummary
In this episode, the story of Sophia Jex-Blake and the Edinburgh Seven, a group of women who fought for the right to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh in the late 1800s, is continued. After gaining admission, they faced numerous obstacles, including hostile male students, being denied access to clinical facilities, and ultimately being told they could not graduate with medical degrees.
Despite the challenges, the women persisted, suing the university and bringing significant public attention to their cause. Although they did not succeed in getting their degrees from Edinburgh, their efforts paved the way for the Enabling Act of 1876, which allowed British universities to grant medical degrees to women.
Jex-Blake went on to establish the London School of Medicine for Women and later the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women. She eventually obtained her medical degree from a Swiss university and became a respected physician in Edinburgh, founding the Edinburgh Hospital for Women and Children.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Sophia Jex-Blake and the Edinburgh Seven faced immense opposition and hostility in their pursuit of medical education at the University of Edinburgh, but their perseverance and activism ultimately paved the way for women's access to medical degrees in Britain.
- Their struggles brought significant public attention to the issue of women's rights in education and the medical profession, leading to legal changes and the establishment of separate medical schools for women.
- Jex-Blake's essays and activism were instrumental in challenging the prevailing notion that medicine was a solely male domain and arguing for women's natural inclination towards healing and caregiving.
- Despite facing setbacks and legal battles, Jex-Blake and the Edinburgh Seven remained steadfast in their pursuit of medical education, eventually obtaining degrees and establishing successful medical practices and institutions.
- Their efforts served as a catalyst for broader societal changes and recognition of women's rights and capabilities in the field of medicine and beyond.
- The story of Sophia Jex-Blake and the Edinburgh Seven exemplifies the power of perseverance, activism, and challenging societal norms in the face of adversity.
- Their legacy continues to inspire and pave the way for greater inclusivity and opportunities for women in historically male-dominated fields.
- The episode underscores the importance of collaborative efforts and community support in effecting meaningful social and institutional change.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “If I can be the first woman to open a british university, then surely I, like Charlotte Bronte, shall have served my heart and eye, even if I die straight away.“ by Sofia Jex-Blake
- “The medical man is only one of the parties concerned, and that it is possible that a difficulty which may be of no importance from his scientific perspective may yet be very formidable indeed to the far more sensitive and delicately organized feelings of his patient, who has no such armor of proof as his own, and whose very condition of suffering may entail an even exaggerated condition of nervous susceptibility.“ by Sofia Jex-Blake
- “Not me but us, meaning that she believed in people working together for each other and the other.“ by Narrator (quoting Sophia Jex-Blake)
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Stuff You Missed in History Class
iHeartPodcasts
5/15/24