This is a well researched book about the history of female doctors. It is very well written without being too dense. The book is very engaging and kept me interested

"Women in White Coats" by Olivia Campbell offers a compelling narrative chronicling the extraordinary journey of three pioneering women - Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, and Sophia Jex-Blake - who defied societal norms and ventured into the male-dominated world of medicine in the 19th century. This book skillfully portrays their relentless determination and resilience in the face of immense challenges, shedding light on their struggle to obtain medical degrees and establish a foothold for women in healthcare.

Campbell's meticulous research and access to archival materials enrich the storytelling, bringing to life the hurdles these women overcame, from societal stigma to the hardships of pursuing medical education in an era that dismissed female involvement in science and medicine. Their achievements in founding women-run hospitals and educational institutions marked a pivotal moment in healthcare history, revolutionizing medical care for women and paving the way for future generations of female physicians.

For readers captivated by the stories of trailblazing women like those in "Hidden Figures" and "Radium Girls," "Women in White Coats" serves as an inspiring testament to the enduring legacy of these three remarkable individuals. Campbell's narrative skillfully intertwines their distinct personalities and circumstances, offering a comprehensive portrayal of their collective impact on reshaping the landscape of healthcare, ultimately making this book an empowering and enlightening read.

Focusing on the tales of three women who were instrumental to the ability of women studying at university and becoming doctors this is a fascinating, well written history. Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, & Sophia Jex-Blake constantly had to fight to become more than nurses in the medical sector, with several setbacks, problems and hurdles to their success. Plenty of accusations of exams being dumbed down or women being incapable of rigorous study happened and they had to persevere to succeed.

The book was well written, with a good depth of knowledge and detail without becoming heavy or slow moving. She maintained a good level of objectivity through the historical examples. As it's such a broad topic, there were definitely a few areas that weren't explored in as much detail, like race or class, but I feel like there would have been too many threads to include.

This is an absolutely fascinating account of the horrendous time that women in medicine have had throughout history. The uphill struggles and constant rejections from universities has to be read to be believed. Their sheer strength of character and determination meant that eventually women had the right to train as doctors.
Really interesting and highly recommended.

A very interesting and informative book about how women wanted to further themselves and become doctors in a time where it wasn't social acceptable.

Of course, society was very happy for women to be nurses but they didn't want them on the leading lines, the book is so well researched and the way its written, it just doesn't feel like a non - fiction, the author just writes so easily that is just so easy to read.

It was so wonderfully powerful to read of the difficulties they had to overcome to try and move forward with their plans, how popular figures such as Queen Victoria and even physician and surgeon Joseph Lister tried to block advances for women to progress. I think this kind of information is super powerful, at a time when so much was developing for up and coming people and lots of change was being endured, it was still almost shunned for women, by women and also by men.

Despite wanting to become doctors, the title ensures that the reader is aware that these women weren't the first and that there when many women throughout history that have came before them practicing and caring for the sick, long before the term doctor was banded about.

A refreshing read about history both in the UK and US - totally different from what I usually read, really enjoyed this. Many thanks to Netgalley, Olivia Campbell and the publishers for the chance to read this unusual topic, in exchange for my review!

Women In White Coats by Olivia Campbell is a beautifully written and researched book.

It is about the struggles the 3 women Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, & Sophia Jex-Blake who made a career in medicine against the odds in the Victorian Era.

An enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Swift Press for the ARC Copy. This review is my own opinion.

Fascinating and inspiring…… In the early 1800s, women were dying in large numbers from treatable diseases because they avoided receiving medical care. Examinations performed by male doctors were often demeaning and even painful. In addition, women faced stigma from illness--a diagnosis could greatly limit their ability to find husbands, jobs or be received in polite society.

Motivated by personal loss and frustration over inadequate medical care, Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Sophia Jex-Blake fought for a woman's place in the male-dominated medical field. For the first time ever, Women in White Coats tells the complete history of these three pioneering women who, despite countless obstacles, earned medical degrees and paved the way for other women to do the same. Though very different in personality and circumstance, together these women built women-run hospitals and teaching colleges - creating for the first time medical care for women by women.

With gripping storytelling based on extensive research and access to archival documents, Women in White Coats tells the courageous history these women made by becoming doctors, detailing the boundaries they broke of gender and science to reshape how we receive medical care today.

Historical insight into female Doctors and how including women in the profession improved patient experience and reduced suffering.

Battling stereotypes, prejudice and so much more, Elizabeth, Sophia and their fought Womens rights, education and careers.

A very powerful and gripping story that is difficult to read in some parts but worth sticking with. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no large gaps between words some text written has been typed in red and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book therefore a star is lost for this.

Women in White Coats is a fascinating true account of the struggles of three Victorian era women who fought to become the first to achieve medical degrees in the US and UK, paving the way for all of us who followed. Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Garrett Anderson, and Sophia Jex-Blake each had different reasons for wanting to become doctors, and took different paths, but each faced disbelief, hostility, and sometimes downright thuggery from an establishment determined to protect its own interests. This meticulously researched biography tells their stories in a chatty accessible style that emphasised their diverse personalities and explores the relationships between them, as well as the background culture opposing them.

The author stresses repeatedly that Elizabeth, Lizzie and Sophia were not the first female health practitioners or even doctors - women have been delivering healthcare for millennia - but they were the first to insist on obtaining the recognised training and qualifications that would give them the legitimacy to practice independently. Their initial motivation was the dreadful lack of care available to women suffering from diseases that made seeing male doctors too daunting. While initially it was expected that they would focus exclusively on gynaecology and obstetrics/midwifery, Campbell tells how they became skilled healers, surgeons and educators themselves. Their passion, energy and drive was extraordinary.

When I graduated from Edinburgh University Medical School in 1993, our class was evenly split between males and females, and throughout my career I have never felt discriminated against because of my gender. I was therefore horrified and ashamed to discover that my alma mater was one of the worst institutions when it came to blocking the women’s path to qualification. Encouraged by a handful of powerful misogynists, the male students organised a frightening and sustained campaign of abuse, threats and even physical violence to try and prevent the “Edinburgh Seven” attending classes, and when that failed, the powers-that-be used the full extent of the law to prevent them achieving the qualifications they had worked so hard for. The fact that it took until 2019 to redress this is appalling.

This is a long book, and while it was easy to read, with an omniscient narrative style that felt more like fiction than dry biography at times, it did sometimes go round in circles between the featured women, often covering the same ground repeatedly. There is a long bibliography and references section which takes up the last 15%. The descriptions of treatments used at the time show how far we have come.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of either feminism or medicine and to all Lady Doctors who owe their careers to these brave women. My favourite quote is right at the end:
“A world where only men are physicians seems almost unimaginable today. Were it not for these ambitious, tenacious, and incredibly persistent women, we might still be living in such a world. They could have easily given up their quest at any point and no one could’ve blamed them, but they never once wavered. We have these women to thank for the fact that today, when a little girl dreams of becoming a doctor, that dream can become a reality.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Swift Press for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
Women in White Coats is available now.

Non fiction

This was an extraordinary book, detailing the unimaginable hurdles placed before women who wanted to become doctors in the mid to late 19th century in both America and the UK. The sheer determination and courage displayed by these pioneering women cannot be overstated.

The author did a massive amount of research to pull this book together into a very readable and informative narrative. Although based totally on facts and real people the writing was nevertheless very engaging and kept my interest throughout. The references for the book are extensive and are Included at the end.

Sitting here in my 21st century comfort and being confident of getting excellent healthcare it is hard to imagine it was not always the case. The childish and ignorant reactions of most of the male medical students and teachers beggar belief and the lengths they went to went beyond harassment in many cases. It is really hard to for me to understand this amount of male entitlement. Yet the women reacted with grace and calmness.

This book was quite long as there was much material to cover and I doubt it will appeal to everyone because of its singular subject matter and lack of a plot per se. But if you ever wondered about the origins of many of our modern health practices you will find the answers within these pages. This book is a triumph for feminism and I really enjoyed it. Many thanks to Netgalley and Swift Press for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

This book was not usually the type of book I would read but I was so pleased I did. If you are interested in health, feminism and equality this book is for you.

This book looks at the stories of three women who were instrumental in paving the way for women to study at university & eventually become doctors. Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, & Sophia Jex-Blake had the fortitude to withstand the professional prejudice against women joining the medical profession as other than nurses. It was a long hard road paved with many setbacks & disappointments along the way. At first they were treated as oddities, tolerated in the short term as it was believed they would soon give up & go back to their lives, but when it became clear that they were serious about making a living as doctors, things took a nasty turn.

It was argued that there was no demand for women doctors, & yet their patients, on the whole, welcomed being able to talk about private & embarrassing ailments to another woman. Then their detractors argued that women couldn't physically cope with rigorous study without making themselves ill, & when women passed the exams with honours & no ill effects, rumours were spread that the exams must have been basically 'dumbed down'. This along with actual physical attacks such as mud being thrown at the women by male students when they attended lectures showed just how threatened the all-male establishment was.

I had heard about the three main women featured before (mentioned above) & it was interesting to read more about their backgrounds & lives. I thought the author kept the narrative moving well & there was lots of details without it becoming too bogged down. It was kept fairly evenhanded on the subject of misogyny as there are plenty of examples of men supporting women in their endeavors, not just those against. On the other hand, there wasn't much analysis about class, which was one of the biggest social dividers of that time especially in the UK. Only women who came from rich families & who could afford to pay for private lessons & undertake quite a lot of international travel could afford to train. This was briefly mentioned but not examined in depth, likewise with the racism that pervaded early medical studies with the experiments & outright torture which was carried out on black women.

Of course, a book can only focus on so many aspects otherwise the main threads tend to get lost, but I feel that certain issues could have been explored in more depth. I found it an interesting, informative read overall though, & written in a way that allowed the reader to experience the highs & lows of the struggles of these women.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Swift Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

The story of three female Victorian doctors who change the future of medicine. An interesting insight to the struggles they faced. History in the making. Shocking how women were treated during this period.

This book is the perfect one to show up, yet again, the stupidity of men and their approach to anything that cramps their ego and their sense of "I am in charge of the world". In general, the men of the world have still not learned of the truth that in a measurable number of situations, women get better results than men, including medicine.

As a man and a baby-boomer, who has always thought that women are/were undervalued, I think this book is an essential read as it offers an unemotional view of the trials and tribulations that have faced women over the last 170 years or so with regards to their becoming doctors. In this case, exemplified by their attempts and eventual success in breaking the taboo that women are unsuited to anything that does not involve staying at home, taking tea and raising children.

This book shows time and time again that men have tunnel vision when it suits them as they choose/chose not to see that working class women had to work to help keep their families whilst also attempting to stay at home and raise their children. How they were and in some cases still are unable to see that women are as diverse in their needs and wants and capabilities as men, whatever their status in society.

Well worth 5 Stars and I ask, whether you are male or female, to please put this book on your must read list, buy it and read it.

Women in White Coats by Olivia Campbell

The British Medical Journal: It is indeed high time that this preposterous attempt of one or two highly strong-minded women to establish a race of feminine doctors should be exploded.
 
The Lancet: A lady has penetrated to the core of our hospital system. We anticipate an almost unanimous condemnation of the effort to introduce young women into the classes of medical students at our hospitals.
 
This book is a marvellous account of the trailblazing women who became the first female doctors in the mid 1800s. Women had worked as healers in many capacities, but none had ever been allowed to enter into a medical degree. It was deemed inappropriate for a lady to be exposed to the butchery and horror of clinical medicine at the time. Leeches were routine treatments for most conditions, surgeries were performed without anaesthesia and the hygiene theory had not come into being. Antibiotics were decades away.
 
Elizabeth, an English woman who moved to the US as a child, became the first woman to undertake a medical degree. She was inspired by the death of a friend who felt their care could have been so different had a woman been the doctor. The book carefully constructs a clear picture of her experiences throughout this time, moving from her childhood through her training and beyond. She is scorned by local woman as a “bad” woman, separated from male students and routinely ridiculed for her interest in medicine. Elizabeth was persistent and felt that by not rising to the taunts of the other students they may come to see her as their equal. She ended up graduating first in her class – a huge honour to this day. 
 
I have to admit I had no idea what an arduous undertaking it was - it wasn’t just trying to enrol in a degree but the near impossible task of actually practicing medicine. The battles undertaken are very well detailed within this book.
 
Elizabeth ultimately founded her own medical school, which remains open!

This is a wonderful read - highly recommended. Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC. It’s out on 20 October.

#womeninmedicine #bookreview #medicine #ladydoctor #medicalschool #netgalley #WomenInWhiteCoats

This non fiction book expands on how women changed the medicine. I was fully aware of the hardship and challenges that faced such pioneers but their story should be remembered. How much humanity has benefitted from their perseverance is something incredible.This non fiction book expands on how women changed the medicine. I was fully aware of the hardship and challenges that faced such pioneers but their story should be remembered. How much humanity has benefitted from their perseverance is something incredible.

This did not excite me as I thought it would. I found the writing to conversational - almost like a novel. It was sorely lacking in sources and citations. Way to concerned with the private lives of the women and not their professions. And I really disliked how these extraordinary women were called by their first names while their male counterparts were called Dr. It just didn't sit right with me.

Women in White Coats brings home both how much pioneer women also needed to be the more privileged kinds of women (for example, having a wealthy family and not needing to work) and at least one parent or other family member on their side, but also how these women weren't entirely alone. The power of a group of women supporting in each other along individual lonely roads should not be underestimated, but neither should the obstacles they faced and therefore how poor or non-white or disabled women, for example, would have had no chance against the institutional and individual pressure and discrimination on all sides.

I loved that Women in White Coats delved into the stories of a small number of women, which revealed how much influence individual circumstance and luck have when the odds (and society) are against you.

I really enjoyed this biography of three pioneering female doctors. I'd heard of the Edinburgh Seven before, but this easy-to-read, in-depth history gave me a much greater insight into the fight for women to be recognised as medical practitioners in the 1800s.

I've read a few women in medicine books recently which take a much wider, thematic approach to the subject, so it was really nice to focus in on a few individuals for a change. It was interesting to see how the personalities of these three women had almost as much impact as their political beliefs, and while Campbell is a little starry-eyed about her subjects, she doesn't omit their flaws.

Informative, personable and engaging, Women in White Coats is a book I'd recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about feminist pioneers.