Women in White Coats

How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine

By: Olivia Campbell

Narrated by: Jean Ann Douglass

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

For fans of Hidden Figures and Radium Girls comes the remarkable story of three Victorian women who broke down barriers in the medical field to become the first women doctors, revolutionizing the way women receive health care.

In the early 1800s, women were dying in large numbers from treatable diseases because they avoided receiving medical care. Examinations performed by male doctors were often demeaning and even painful. In addition, women faced stigma from illness—a diagnosis could greatly limit their ability to find husbands, jobs or be received in polite society.

Motivated by personal loss and frustration over inadequate medical care, Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Sophia Jex-Blake fought for a woman’s place in the male-dominated medical field. For the first time ever, Women in White Coats tells the complete history of these three pioneering women who, despite countless obstacles, earned medical degrees and paved the way for other women to do the same. Though very different in personality and circumstance, together these women built women-run hospitals and teaching colleges—creating for the first time medical care for women by women.

With gripping storytelling based on extensive research and access to archival documents, Women in White Coats tells the courageous history these women made by becoming doctors, detailing the boundaries they broke of gender and science to reshape how we receive medical care today.

Great history of women in medicine

Everything about this Audible book was enjoyable. The narrator did a great job (and that’s a necessity for me when purchasing an Audible book). The writing was clear, accurate and amazingly informative.

I’m a retired certified nurse-midwife (I have a Masters degree in nursing), but I remember my mother telling me in the 1950’s that women were nurses, not doctors. So, it has literally taken about 150 years to get to where we are today - in great part due to the women and events recounted in this book.

I’d recommend it highly to all.

The courage and integrity of the women in white. Should be required reading for guidance counselors🙏

I enjoyed the brave journey and how they were persistent in overcoming so many challenges to pursue and achieve their goal.

the women

Wonderful hidden and lost history of female trailblazing doctors

I learned something completely new about the outrageous odds these brave women had to repeatedly fight to be accepted as doctors at the same level as men. It was terrible the amount of misogyny they had to overcome.

Really liked it!

Hit a bit deeper because my daughter is finishing her residency. It's incredibly inspiring and fascinating to know what the women who came before her had to endure and rise above to become medical doctors.

Excellent history of women in medicine

The book shows the challenges and segregation against women wanting to enter medicine in the 1800s. It was very interesting and we can be thankful that these women fought for rights and recognition so that today a woman can become an M.D. It did get tedious with details, but still enjoyable and educational.