“It’s not easy to be a pioneer– but oh, is it fascinating!” A statement by Elizabeth Blackwell, that just about sums her up. She was born on February 3, 1821, a time when women were to be seen and not heard. For any other women of the time, that was normal and they weren’t set on making the change that needed to be made. But that wasn’t the case for Dr. Blackwell, who saw that as a challenge. Through her determination and generosity, Elizabeth Blackwell was able to have a positive impact on the world around her by persevering her way through a field that was unknown to women before her time. Elizabeth Blackwell exhibited determination in her life from a very early age and used it to propel herself into the medical world. She displayed many …show more content…
She first decided that she would be a physician following an interaction with a fatally ill friend of her mother, where the patient had expressed that, “she knew a woman doctor would have known what to do to save her.” (Hobart and William Smith) This statement first inspired her to pursue the field of medicine, but what she did following the conversation is what is truly notable. She put her mind to it, decided that nothing would stand in her way, and didn’t quit until she achieved her goal. The determination that she portrayed through her actions inspired women and girls all over the world, including myself, to fight for what they want. She overcame many obstacles in order to achieve something that the women before her did not, becoming the first woman to ever become a licensed doctor in the United States. Elizabeth Blackwell had a generous soul that she used for the good of the people around her, through the opening of infirmaries. Elizabeth Blackwell sought to do good for the underprivileged so, “in 1857, she opened the New York Infirmary for Women and Children.” (National Women’s History Museum) This was a really big deal at the time because it was a facility of health, not solely created for the benefit of