Elizabeth Blackwell: A Doctor To Remember

“Heroes represent the best of ourselves, respecting that we are human beings. A hero can be anyone from Gandhi to your classroom teacher, anyone who can show courage when faced with a problem. A hero is someone who is willing to help others in his or her best capacity” (Martin). As stated by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, a hero is the ideal figure that humankind looks up to. He or she is an individual who works selflessly to help others no matter how small or big of an impact the action makes. Nowadays, society believes that fame and fortune determines who heroes are, that celebrities who are hungry for stardom are those who should be looked up to. However, this definition of a hero robs the public of the true meaning and frankly poisons the public. Heroism does not necessarily have to be performed by a superhuman such as Captain America or Wonder Woman. In fact, heroism can be found in everyday life, whether it is an activist fighting for civil rights or simply a man who offers to buy a homeless individual a meal. These individuals must possess a generous attitude towards the world, always prioritizing others before themselves. With this altruistic mindset, admirable figures must establish their determination and persist through adversity in order to achieve their goals. All of these traits lead to a hero who has a strong desire to make a positive impact on someone or something and should inspire others to follow their footsteps. A true hero, regardless of his or her background or position in society, uses their selflessness as well as their determination and perseverance to surpass obstacles and change the world for the better.

New York's Geneva Collegehttps://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/blackwell/college_life.htmlLike a worthy hero, Elizabeth Blackwell broke through social stereotypes and utilized her selflessness as well as determination to push through roadblocks and ultimately reform society for the greater good. Blackwell was born in Bristol, England on February 3, 1821 into a successful family who valued education and knowledge. The Blackwell family believed that all children, regardless of gender, should be educated. However, during the time, women were discriminated against during the 1800s and viewed as inferior to men. This meant that women received little to no education and were perceived as being incapable of doing “a man’s job” such as being a physician. Thus, contrary to social beliefs, Blackwell received the same education as her brother. As a young girl, she was under the influence of her parents who were strong advocates for women’s rights and as a result, helped spur her aspiring ambitions. After a horrendous accident with her father’s business, Blackwell and her family moved to America for a new life. Soon, more unfortunate events to her father’s business caused the family to relocate numerous times within the United States, where they eventually settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1845, Elizabeth Blackwell began working as a schoolteacher. After a life-changing visit to her dying friend named Mary Donaldson, Blackwell was propelled into a completely different direction and embarked on her medical journey. After earning enough money for medical school, she submitted dozens of applications, only to get rejected by almost all. However, the future looked bright when she was accepted into New York’s Geneva College in November 1847. Regardless of the opinions of her male peers, Blackwell graduated college at the top of her class and worked in hospitals to gain hands-on experience with patients. Later on, when she was denied any opportunities in America due to opposition, she moved to Paris, France to further expand her knowledge through attending lectures, observing operations, and treating patients. She then moved back to New York City, where she once again experienced prejudice and hostility. Nevertheless, Blackwell was undaunted and opened up a clinic in 1853 called the New York Dispensary for Poor Women and Children that would later become flooded with patients. For the rest of her life, she devoted herself towards paving a road for women in the medical field. She recruited and taught other women to volunteer as nurses during the Civil War, opened up the Women's Medical College of the New York Infirmary in September 1868, and continued to share her knowledge to the world through lectures. Although she died on May 31, 1910 in Hastings, England, her legacy continues to live on and inspire millions around the world today. Because of her unwavering selflessness and overwhelming determination and perseverance, Elizabeth Blackwell emerged from the shadows of sexism in order to revolutionize the role of women in medicine and thus prove herself worthy of a true hero.

Elizabeth Blackwell: The First Female Doctor in the United Stateshttps://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biographies/elizabeth-blackwellInstead of following her own judgments, Blackwell demonstrated her steadfast selflessness by choosing to devote her life towards forging a path for women to follow. Blackwell’s journey to become a doctor commenced when her viewpoint of the medical field changed while speaking to a dying friend named Mary Donaldson: "You are fond of study, have health and leisure; why not study medicine? If I could have been treated by a lady doctor, my worst sufferings would have been spared me.’ But I at once repudiated the suggestion as an impossible one, saying that I hated everything connected with the body, and could not bear the sight of a medical book...So I resolutely tried for weeks to put the idea suggested by my friend away; but it constantly recurred to me" (Blackwell). While on her deathbed, Donaldson suggested Blackwell pursue a medical path, as she exclaims how much of a need for society to have female doctors. After much thought and an attempt to forget about the idea, Blackwell’s selflessness refused to let her forget about her friend’s pleading words. Blackwell’s originally negative ideas about the human body were quickly overlooked, which resulted in her pursuit of a medical degree that would create a solution for women in similar situations as her friend. Rather than conforming to society and staying within gender expectations like other women, she adopted an uncommon pathway due to her desire to help all women in the future. Because she completely disregarded her own conviction about human anatomy solely to assist women, Blackwell’s demonstration of her selfless character allowed her to rise above others to attain a hero status. Additionally, she faced a difficult decision when deciding to take on this career path, but she chose the selfless road without hesitation: “While Blackwell was well aware that the path before her was full of obstacles, she felt it would be a moral victory for women everywhere if she succeeded in becoming a physician--and she was determined to succeed” (“Elizabeth Blackwell.”). Blackwell was fully aware of the many hardships she had to endure, especially the discouragement and doubt of others; nevertheless, she chose to carry on because she knew that it would be a breakthrough and a moral victory for women in the world. Her constant unselfish drive to redirect the people’s morals and improve women’s role in society not only pushed her to accept a strenuous task containing copious hardships in the future, but to also openly defy gender expectations in a time when women were discriminated against. Because of her selfless desire to extinguish the misogynistic view society has towards women, no matter the obstacles, Blackwell’s decision to accept such an extraordinary and unusual path in her time distinguished herself from the “common woman” to a worthy hero. Elizabeth Blackwell’s abiding selflessness cultivated her actions and decisions that broke through society's expectations of a woman and thus, displays her worthiness to be recognized as a heroic individual.

Elizabeth Blackwell on a US Postage Stamphttps://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/news/schlesinger-newsletter/elizabeth-blackwells-struggle-become-doctorIn addition to her undeniably altruistic nature, Elizabeth Blackwell strategically utilized her staggering determination and perseverance as a weapon to eradicate the obstacles that stood before her. when asking other figures in the medical industry about the possibility of a lady becoming a physician, Blackwell faced even more despondency but once again fought with her unbreakable determination and perseverance: "They all replied to the effect that the idea was a good one, but that it was impossible to accomplish it; that there was no way of obtaining such an education for a woman; that the education required was long and expensive; that there were innumerable obstacles in the way of such a course; and that, in short, the idea, though a valuable one, was impossible of execution...This verdict, however, no matter from how great an authority, was rather an encouragement than otherwise to a young and active person who needed. an absorbing occupation" (Blackwell).Blackwell consulted numerous medical figures about her dreams, only to receive a unanimous response stating that her dreams were simply impossible and a list of all the obstacles she would have to face. However, this did not faze Blackwell whatsoever, and she responded by transforming the opinions into pure motivation. Due to her unique ability to rethink discouragement into motivation, degrading insults not only strengthened her weapon of tenacity and persistence, but also caused her to grow into an even more determined soldier. As a result of employing her dedication and diligence to abolish society’s disapproval towards her, Blackwell remained devoted to her ambition of reforming society to better women and manifested qualities of a respectable hero. Furthermore, after successfully earning her medical degree and going on to establish herself as a doctor, Blackwell received numerous amounts of criticism regarding her work: “Men hurled insults at her, and women avoided her on the street. Obscene letters flooded her mailbox. Worst of all, no patients came, and the local medical establishment flatly rejected her overtures. Unfazed, Blackwell borrowed money from friends to establish a clinic in the slums of lower Manhattan” (“Elizabeth Blackwell.”). Because it was socially unacceptable for a woman to do a man’s job, the surrounding people spit abhorrent words at Blackwell as an attempt to stop her efforts. Nevertheless, she used her fierce determination to shield herself from these repulsive comments and continued on with her work as if nothing occurred. Blackwell's steadfast determination allowed her to persevere through whatever obstacles were thrown her way, inspiring many others to also never give up when facing adversity. In the war between Elizabeth Blackwell and society, Blackwell arose as the victorious hero who used her compelling determination and perseverance to break free of the limitations society tried shackling upon her.

Elizabeth Blackwell’s heroism is not only displayed through her relentless humanitarianism but also through her usage of willpower and commitment to defeat the copious setbacks she encountered. Blackwell constantly put aside her own desires in order to meet others’ needs. She always had a hunger to change the society and forge her own path into this world by helping humanity. Because of this yearning, Blackwell demonstrated her unbelievable determination and perseverance. Obstacle after obstacle, she remained adamant about achieving her goal to reform society’s perspective of women and didn’t let any doubt or opposition impede her path. Even after continuous disrespect, she remained composed, and even more focused on accomplishing her ambition. As a result, Blackwell created a ripple in the world: “Over a long and productive career spanning more than 50 years, Blackwell had fulfilled her dreams while inspiring those of countless other young women who, like her, were eager to make a difference in the world and not about to let convention stand in their way” (“Elizabeth Blackwell.”). She transformed the lives of women all around, not only in medicine but in other male-dominated fields as well. As a living example, Blackwell proved to the women at her time that social expectations did not define what a woman is and what a woman should or shouldn’t do. She also demonstrated to all that nothing is impossible; with the right attitude and willingness to work hard and make a positive impact, one can accomplish anything. After learning about her incredible story, Elizabeth Blackwell became a profound inspiration to me. Growing up, I gradually discovered my fascination for biology. In the future, I hope to enter the medical field with an impact, just like she did. Blackwell’s legacy opened up doors for many young women to enter medicine, including myself. Her actions remain heroic to this date and have changed society for the better. Without her actions and ambitions, I would not be able to pursue a career in the medicine with ease. Furthermore, she inspires me with her altruistic and tenacious mindset. She motivates me to turn life’s lemons into lemonade, or turn the negatives into positives. If Blackwell can endure so much hate and discrimination, then I can overcome my comparingly small problems such as finishing an essay on time or pushing through to the end in one of my races. In the end, Elizabeth Blackwell motivates millions in the world through her heroism. As Ricky Martin’s words describe, a hero represents the flawless human being. Similarly, Elizabeth Blackwell represents how humans should act: with selfless means and the determination and perseverance to change the world for the better. She ensured that women were rightfully respected as capable people and redirected humanity onto the tracks of equality and justice. Her legacy will continue to be remembered and honored as the woman who overcame the depths of oppression in order to reform society and revolutionize the lives of women; without a doubt, Elizabeth Blackwell is a true hero to be remembered.

Works Cited                               

Blackwell, Elizabeth. Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women:

          Autobiographical Sketches. Longmans, Green, and Co., 1895, digital.library.upenn.edu/women/blackwell/pioneer/pioneer.html#I.

"Elizabeth Blackwell." Contemporary Heroes and Heroines, vol. 4, Gale, 2000. Biography In         

          Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1607000302/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=65c2c55a. Accessed 6 Apr. 2018.

"Ricky Martin Quotes." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2018. 23 April 2018.

          https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/ricky_martin_553650