To get Black History Month started, I decided to find some information on the pioneers in the medical field. I love that so many great accomplishments from my culture paved the way for later generations. I hope that one day I too can become a pioneer in my own right. I will continue to pay homage to those that came before me and appreciate their great works.
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams (1858–1931)
Known as the physician to perform the first successful open heart surgery, Dr. Williams became acutely aware of the lack of training for black doctors and nurses. As a result, he organized the first black-owned hospital in the United States, Provident Hospital and Training School for Nurses, in 1891. (source)
Mary Eliza Mahoney (1845-1926)
After working at the New England Hospital for Women and Children Training School for Nurses for 15 years, Mahoney was finally accepted into the school in 1879. She became the first professionally trained black nurse in America and went on to advocate for race equality in the medical field. (source)
Dr. William Augustus Hinton (1883-1959)
Born to former slaves, Dr. Hinton attended the three-year, pre-medicine program at University of Kansas. He completed the program in two years and transferred to Harvard University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1905. After teaching for several years, Dr. Hinton enrolled in Harvard’s medical school and eventually became the first black instructor at the prestigious university, where he taught bacteriology and immunology for more than 30 years. He became internationally recognized for his work on the detection and vaccination of syphilis, known as the “Hinton Test”. Dr. Hinton published the first African American textbook, Syphilis and Its Treatment, in 1936. (source)
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831-1895)
Frequently recognized at the first African American women to earn a Doctor of Science degree, Rebecca Lee Crumpler, M.D, graduated in 1863 from the New England Female Medical College. “She devoted her life to improving health in the black community through research and clinical work. When the Civil War ended, she realized that whole communities of newly-freed blacks in the South would urgently need medical care,” according to PBS.
Dr. Charles Drew (1904-1950)
During World War II, Dr. Drew “forged a new understanding of blood plasma that allowed blood to be stored for transfusions,” according to PBS. He was also the first director of the American Red Cross Blood Bank.
So many more advancements and medical milestones are attributed to African Americans and include these contemporary pioneers:
- Dr. Benjamin Carson became the first African-American neurosurgeon to separate conjoined twins.
- Dr. Jocelyn Elders became the first Black Surgeon General of the US in 1993.
- Dr. David Satcher became the first Black to head the CDC in 1993.
IU Health, a unique partnership with Indiana University School of Medicine, one of the nation’s leading medical schools, honors the accomplishments of these medical professionals whose lessons are still taught today.
Source: Celebrating Black History Month with African American Medical Pioneers
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