The first American professionally licensed female doctor was?

The first American woman to become a professionally licensed doctor was Elizabeth Blackwell. She earned her medical degree in 1849 from Geneva Medical College in New York. This achievement was groundbreaking at that time and opened doors for many other women in the field of medicine.

Extra: Elizabeth Blackwell was an extraordinary figure in the history of medicine and women's rights. Her journey to becoming a physician was fraught with challenges. When she decided to pursue a career in medicine, she was met with opposition and even laughter, as it was considered an inappropriate field for women. Despite repeated rejections by medical schools, Blackwell persisted and was finally accepted by Geneva Medical College due to a faculty vote. Interestingly, the faculty put her admission to a vote by the male students, thinking they would not accept a woman into the college; however, the students thought it was a practical joke and voted 'yes,' which led to Blackwell’s enrollment.

As the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States, Blackwell opened the door for women to enter the medical profession, a domain that had been exclusively male up to that point. She went on to have a significant career, which included opening the New York Infirmary for Women and Children with her sister Dr. Emily Blackwell and Dr. Marie Zakrzewska. Through her work, Elizabeth Blackwell also mentored many other women in medicine and inspired countless others to follow in her footsteps. She helped prove that women could perform just as well as men in the medical profession, a belief that was not widely accepted at the time.