February marks Black History Month. In the spirit of honoring African American culture and accomplishments, we look to medicine’s past to highlight the countless achievements and barriers broken by black physicians in America. These are 10 of the countless African American medical pioneers, and how they made history. Dr. James Durham First African-American physician Born in 1762 and living and working most of his life in slavery, James Durham is considered the first African American to work as a doctor in America. While he never formally held a medical degree, some of Durham’s owners were physicians who taught him what they knew. Durham would go on to run a successful practice in New Orleans, where he helped victims of yellow fever. Dr. James McCune Smith First black doctor to practice with a medical degree in the U.S. Born in 1813, James McCune Smith (depicted at the top of this post) earned his medical degree in Glasgow, Scotland. As a black man, Smith was barred from earning his degree in the U.S. Smith completed his education and returned to New York, where he worked alongside abolitionist Frederick Douglass to put an end to slavery. Smith and Douglass established the National Council of the Colored People. Dr. Rebecca Crumpler First black woman to earn a medical degree in the U.S. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, born in 1831, began her career as a nurse but would go on to become the first female African American to earn a medical degree. When the Civil War ended, Crumpler moved her practice to Richmond, Virginia. There, she worked for the Freedmen’s Bureau, tending to the health of newly freed slaves. You can read more about Crumpler and other trailblazing female physicians here. Dr. Daniel Williams Performed first open-heart surgery and owned first interracial, black-owned hospital Williams’ Provident Hospital would become the first of its kind in 1893 — a medical facility with an interracial staff and interracial patients. In addition to being a healthcare business pioneer, Williams is considered one of the first surgeons to have a successful open-heart outcome. Later in life, Williams would become the chief surgeon at Freedmen’s Hospital. Dr. Alexa Irene Canady First female African-American neurosurgeon Canady almost never became a physician, due to what she called a “crisis of confidence” as an undergraduate math major. She recovered, earned a scholarship to University of Michigan Medical School in 1975, graduated cum laude, and went on to become the first female African-American neurosurgeon in the U.S. Along the way, she faced a great deal of prejudice. During her surgical internship at Yale-New Haven Hospital in 1975, a hospital administrator called her an “equal-opportunity package.” Her peers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia would vote her as one of the top residents of 1981-1982. Dr. Alexander Augusta First black physician appointed director of a U.S. hospital Born free in 1825, Augusta traveled from his native Virginia to study medicine in Canada, where he earned his M.D. When the Civil War broke out, he wrote a letter to President Lincoln asking to be a doctor for the so-called “colored regiments.” Lincoln approved and in doing so made Augusta the first African American commissioned medical officer in the Union Army. Later, Augusta would take charge of the Contraband Hospital in Washington, D.C., which treated free blacks and former slaves (then referred to as contraband). Dr. Patricia Bath First black female physician to earn a medical invention patent A pioneer in the ophthalmology specialty, Bath is the inventor and patent holder of the laserphaco, a device and technique used in cataract surgery. Prior to her 1986 invention, Bath set another first. In 1974, she became the first female ophthalmologist to make the faculty of the University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine Jules Stein Eye Institute. Later, in 1983, Bath would make history again by becoming the first woman to chair an ophthalmology residency program in the U.S. Dr. Charles Drew Blood transfusion pioneer Blood transfusions are something most of us take for granted, and in large part, we have Drew to thank for that. Drew pioneered the use and preservation of blood plasma during World War II, saving the lives of thousands of U.S. troops. His discoveries translated to the civilian sector, giving rise to the modern blood banking system. Dr. Myra Adele Logan First open-heart surgery performed by a woman Logan became the first woman to perform open-heart surgery in 1943. In another first, she was the first African American woman to become a fellow of the American College of Medical Surgeons. Logan’s achievements aren’t confined to surgery. She developed new antibiotics, worked on breast cancer detection and treatment, and was a part of efforts to refine the X-ray process to see tissue density differences. Somehow, she also found time to become a classically trained pianist. Dr. Robert Boyd Co-founder and president of first professional organization for black doctors In 1895, Boyd would co-found the National Medical Association (NMA), which represents U.S. African American doctors and medical professionals. Jim Crow laws were a major obstacle for black physicians at the time. Even the American Medical Association barred black doctors from becoming members. Boyd, who served as the first NMA president, co-founded the NMA to make sure that black physicians had a voice in shaping medical policy and developing clinical expertise. Source
