Elizabeth Blackwell: Rich Research
on Sunday, February 3, 2019Elizabeth Blackwell Money Quote saying as the first woman to receive a medical degree in the U.S. that medical research was more interesting but her lack of riches required her to start a private medical practice. Elizabeth Blackwell said:
“If I were rich I would not begin private practice, but would only experiment; as, however, I am poor, I have no choice” — Elizabeth Blackwell
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In this quote, Elizabeth Blackwell is explaining how her financial circumstances influenced her decision to enter private medical practice. She states that if she had been wealthy, she would have preferred to simply conduct experiments and research rather than directly treat patients for money.
However, Blackwell notes that since she is “poor”, she feels she has “no choice” but to open her own practice to earn an income through seeing clients. The quote conveys that Blackwell’s lack of personal wealth necessitated that she work as a practicing physician, rather than having the luxury of focusing solely on scientific investigation if money was not a concern.
Overall, it provides insight into how Blackwell’s pioneering role as a female doctor was shaped by her need to generate income through clinical work due to her economic situation.
Birthday: February 3, 1821 – Death: May 31, 1910