WOMEN ENTER THE BRITISH MEDICAL PROFESSION 1849-1894

1849 Elizabeth Blackwell obtains US MD

1859 General Medical Council admits her to UK Medical Register

1860 new charter empowers GMC to exclude holders of foreign qualifications

1862 Female Medical Society set up

1864 Female Medical College opens: University of Zurich admits women medical students

1865 Elizabeth Garrett obtains Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery of the Society of Apothecaries

(which promptly closes the loophole allowing her to do so)

1866 she opens Marylebone Dispensary

1867 University of Paris admits women: Berne and Zurich follow suit

1869 Sophia Jex Blake gains entrance to some Edinburgh courses

1870 E Garrett obtains Paris MD: becomes Medical Officer, East London Hospital

1870 Edinburgh medical students riot against admission of women students

1872 Mrs Louisa Atkins, MD Zurich, appointed to Birmingham and Midlands Hospital for Women

1874 Founding of the London School of Medicine for Women

1876 Russell Gurney's Enabling Act: King and Queens' College of Physicians, Dublin (later the Royal College of Physicians, Ireland) licenses women

1877 Five women with foreign medical degrees pass the qualifying examination offered by the King and Queens' College of Physicians and are placed on Medical Register

1877 Royal Free Hospital admits women medical students for clinical training

1878 University of London adopts new charter admitting women to degree courses

1879 Sophia Jex-Blake attempts to set up college for medical women in Edinburgh

1879 London School of Medicine for Women recognised for London medical degrees

1880 20 women on Medical Register

1885 the 3 Scottish medical corporations open to women

1888 Society of Apothecaries admits first woman (since Elizabeth Garrett) to examinations in surgery and medicine

1891 101 women doctors in practice

1892 British Medical Association admits women doctors

1894 Edinburgh finally admits women medical students

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Thanks to Ellen Jordan for additions and corrections.