Florence Sabin Pioneered Her Way in Medical Science, Then Made Sure Other Women Could Do the Same
A scientist and so much more, she helped lay the groundwork for curing tuberculosis but still found time to promote women doctors
By Eliza McGraw
July 6, 2018
The bronze statue in the Capitol building shows a woman sitting sideways in a chair, wearing a starched lab coat over a skirt and high-heeled shoes. Her hair is combed away from her face, her head tilted to the side as if someone’s just called her name. One arm is draped over the back of the chair and the other rests on a book. But don’t be mistaken: there’s nothing dreamy about her posture. You can have a minute—if it’s important—but that’s about it. Dr. Sabin is at work.
In her three-stage career, Florence Rena Sabin worked all the time, pushing tuberculosis research forward and speaking up for women in an era when their career options in medicine were limited. She was a doctor, researcher and public health leader. Her tuberculosis research contributed toward loosening the disease’s grip on the nation, and in her “retirement,†she helped improve health policy, fighting for better healthcare for Coloradans.
Read more:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/medical-pioneer-who-pushed-boundaries-science-and-feminism-180969555/#XqrkaJYxvwRfOtPj.99
