“Say, are you a doctor of are you a lady?” Ground-breaking Goucher Women in Medicine

A highlight of Goucher College's leading role as an institution of scientific learning, the women who benefited from Goucher to make a lasting impression on the medical world, and one of the leading female professors of health and hygiene at Goucher College.

When
September 1, 2021 - June 1, 2022
Where
Special Collections and Archives

The COVID-19 global pandemic brought scientific and medical discoveries to the forefront of all of our lives this past year. Television, radio, social media, and print outlets bombarded us with the latest information on personal and public health issues concerning this new virus. It was a year filled with struggle, illness, and many unknowns. Businesses closed or reduced hours; people lost jobs; parents took on the roles of educators as they worked; and teachers taught remotely. Goucher College students know all too well the challenges of attending “Zoom University” where strong WIFI is necessary; professors may not be well versed in the art of Zoom; and computers are not the same as human interaction.

Intense turmoil, however, can bring about rapid change. As we emerge from the hardships of the past year, technology has produced vaccines at a faster pace than ever before. As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, we will continue to see more achievements in healthcare and management of public health crises.

In 1918, Goucher College students, faculty, and staff witnessed another pandemic known as the “the Spanish Influenza”, the “Three-Day Fever,” or “The Flu.” Precautions were taken to keep the Goucher College Community safe under the leadership of Dr. Lilian Welsh.

But this was hardly the only time faculty, students, and alumnae contributed to the medical field. When Dr. Lilian Welsh joined the faculty in 1894, she focused on creating a culture of wellness and preventative medicine for college students. She was a leader in the public health community in Baltimore as well. Over the past 150 years, Goucher College has provided students with the tools to become leaders in the medical and science fields through laboratory work, classwork, technology and apparatus, and many incredible professors. Alumnae have conducted innovative research, pioneered new technologies, and helped save lives. Many of these early alumnae were pioneering women, the first females to hold their positions and make ground-breaking discoveries in professions dominated by men.